Some Local Ames Stores Say They Were Part of a Bigger Black Friday

Ames shoppers did their part in boosting Black Friday and holiday shopping sales revenue at area big box stores like and , where managers said they rang up more sales than in Black Friday's past.

Younkers said opening at midnight — three hours earlier than last year — might have been behind the sales boost, but JC Penney also reported greater sales and opened at 4 a.m. Friday, the same time as last year.

Specific Ames numbers were not available, but national reports claimed that American consumers set a shopping record over the weekend, boosting retail sales by 16 percent despite the 9 percent unemployment rate. Black Friday sales were up 7 percent according to one early report.

At JC Penney, the top buys were housewares, luggage and boots, said JC Penney of North Grand Mall manager Steve Pankratz.

“We did fairly well. We had really good traffic and a good first hour,” Pankratz said.

Pankratz said his store put a lot of staff on the floor in the morning and gave customers shopping carts for the first time this year, enabling shoppers to keep their hands free. Pankratz said the community also had some great shopping weather that might have been a contributing factor.

Younkers opened at midnight at North Grand Mall, along with 10 other stores. In 2010, the store opened at 3 a.m.

Scott Gire, North Grand Mall Younkers store manager, said sales varied by location, but at the Ames Younkers sales were higher than in 2010.

The Ames location doesn't typically sell housewares, but $19.97 microfiber comforters were a popular item, as were Keurig coffee-makers.

“They were big partially because we don't ever have them,” Gire said.

It's unclear whether the  chain, where some workers petitioned against opening early, benefited from the midnight madness. Edelman, a public relations firm representing Best Buy, said the corporation would not discuss sales numbers.

didn't have sales receipts, but Kristy Welker of Target communications said in an email that 2011 lines were longer than in 2010 at many Target locations.