Crush Of Shoppers May Be Sign Of Recovery

Shoppers flooded local stores beginning as early as midnight on Black Friday, a sign retailers may see a rebound from last holiday season’s dismal sales.

KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporters saw huge crowds outside stores like the Best Buy in Lynnwood and a Toys R Us at Seattle’s Northgate Mall early Friday.

Many retailers said last year’s shopping season was the worst since the 1960s.

"But if today’s early morning rush is any indication, they may see a nice rebound this season," said reporter Chris Francis at Northgate.

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Francis said a Toys R Us employee told him that crowds were three times larger than they were last year.

The hottest toy, the Zhu Zhu Pets, flew off the shelves and sold out in 10 minutes.

The line at the Lynnwood Best Buy was "monumental" before doors opened just after 5 a.m., said reporter Rick Price. See video

Before the doors opened, both customers and the store's general manager said they're seeing signs of an economic recovery.

"The line should be to what it was last year, and we've got another half hour to go, ‘til we start, so I think it'll end up being much better than last year," said General Manager Dave Harmon, who estimated the line at about 1,600 people.

People started camping outside the store Wednesday night.

A recent national survey showed a third of American Consumers expect to spend more on the holidays than they had planned to spend just a month or two ago.