Shop til you drop!

Black Friday was a little bit blue as holiday shoppers opted to play it safe this year.

Unlike the big city, where bargain hunters camped out for days to save a few dollars on a big screen TV or vehicle navigation system, Colusa County shoppers were able to hit the snooze button the day after Thanksgiving.

"Shopping on Black Friday puts me in the mood for Christmas," said Christine Barrera of Williams, who trickled into Colusa around 9 a.m. "But I really have to watch what I spend this year, so I'm staying out of the mall. I just thought I would take a look around."

According to the National Retail Federation's 2009 holiday consumer Intentions and actions survey, conducted by BIGresearch, U.S. consumers plan to spend an average of $682.74 on holiday-related shopping, a 3.2 percent drop from last year's $705.01.

Two-thirds of Americans say the economy will affect their holiday plans this year, with the majority of these consumers saying they're adjusting by simply spending less, the survey said.

"My kids are little, so they are easy to please," Barrera said. "But my husband and I agreed to save money by cutting on gifts for each other and our (extended) family."

This year, more than ever before, people are shopping for sales (55 percent ), using more coupons (41.7 percent ) and putting up last year's decorations (34.0 percent ), the survey found. Many Americans will also make changes in gift-giving, plan to buy more practical gifts (36.0 percent ), buy a joint gift for kids or parents (17.3 percent ), and make more gifts at home (16.7 percent ).

"While last holiday season was filled with chaotic confusion, adjusting to uncertainty has now become routine for many Americans," said Tracy Mullin, Retail Federation chief executive officer, in a statement. "This holiday season will be a bit of a dance between retailers and shoppers, with each group feeling the other out to understand how things have changed and how they must adapt."

The slow trickle of early morning shoppers at Rite Aid was typical for Black Friday, according to Rod Battaglia, manager.

"Our Black Friday is Sunday," Battaglia said. "Shoppers tend to go to Sacramento or Yuba City on Friday and Saturday, then come here on Sunday."

Although the store has a few "sweet deals" to kick off the holiday, Battaglia said shoppers count mostly on the traditional holiday sales they see at the store every year.

While shopping in Colusa the day after Thanksgiving was leisurely, those who ventured to the city found Black Friday not all it's cracked up to be.

"This is the craziest thing I have ever seen," said Steve Garofalo of Colusa, as he wove between the hordes of shoppers crowding the aisles at the Yuba City Walmart. "It's ridiculous that people go through this to save a couple bucks."

The people-watching aspect was his favorite part of the excursion, whether it was the customers rushing frantically for deals or the store employees that had to help them.

"The security guide was grinning ear to ear, saying 'This is kind of funny,'" Garofalo said.

Colusa resident Sebastian Medina went to bed around midnight but got up around 3:45 a.m. to drive to Yuba City to shop.

"So far I've gone to one store and I wouldn't do it again," Medina said. "It's just too crowded."

After a trip to Kohl's, he wanted to buy a Christmas tree at Lowe's for his wife and then stop by Home Depot and Big 5 to purchase some things for himself. The savings, although small, are the only aspect that make the excursion worth it, he said.

"It's hard times right now," Medina said. "The economy is not all that great. People are just trying to save money any way they know."

Whether they're shopping to get the best selection or trying to stretch out spending over a longer period of time, many holiday shoppers said they started early.

"I started in August," said Black Friday shopper Sherry Swartz of Colusa. "All I needed today was paper to wrap my gifts."

According to the Retail Federation, 39 percent of Americans began their holiday shopping before Halloween.

Contact Susan Meeker at 458-2121 or smeeker@tcnpress.com. Appeal-Democrat reporter Ashley Gebb contributed to this story.