Cash flows on Black Friday

Ugg Boots Black Friday Shoppers in Sioux Falls came by the carload to malls and shopping centers Friday, giving support to the outlook of retailers for a stronger holiday season than last year.

It is too early to know how traffic will compare, but early evidence suggests the day was good.

At locally owned regional drug store chain Lewis Drug, Black Friday traffic was similar to last year, if not a little busier.

"It has been very consistent," said Brian Welbig, the manager at the Lewis Drug store at 10th Street and Cliff Avenue.

"We've had four registers going all day, with lines that aren't too long."

People were not breaking down the door at Lewis Drug, Welbig said, but the store did sell out of specially priced Nintendo Wii video game consoles in 10 minutes. They were priced at $169.

He also said he saw an increase in the amount of furniture - dining room sets, recliners, breakfast tables - sold over last year.

Just as retailers carefully crafted inventories for this holiday, consumers are coming in with shrewdly budgeted lists.

Shoppers showed themselves to be discerning bargain hunters willing to leave stores empty handed if the deals were gone or a product was of out stock.

Chad Larson, 34, arrived at Toys R Us at 11:15 p.m. Thursday to be ready when it opened at midnight. By 6:30 a.m., he and his wife hadn't stopped shopping.

They were determined to get the in-demand toy of the season: Zhu Zhu Pets. But Toys R Us didn't have them. So they left empty-handed.

"We ended up getting nothing at Toys R Us," he said. "We stood there in line for nothing."

They had better luck at Walmart, snagging two Nintendo DS systems.

Rachel Kintt, 22, of Sioux Falls started shopping at 5 a.m. at Toys R Us and went from there to the mall.

"I like the bargains. There are some decent bargains, like 50 percent off stuff or two for a small price," Kintt said.

With the early start, the crowds, the scrum to get deals - was it worth it?

"It depends on how long the lines are," she said.

Consumers' critical eye and tunnel vision on bargains are in line with the expectations of retailers.