While a recent poll conducted by Elon University predicts holiday sales to be flat or slower than they were last year, Wilmington’s retail community is gearing up for action on Black Friday.

National retailers are continuing the trend of ever-earlier openings for Thanksgiving shoppers, with Black Friday sales seeping well into the holiday itself. Earlier this month, Kmart fired the first salvo by announcing that it would open at 6 a.m. Thanksgiving day and remain open until 11 p.m. on Black Friday.

Toys R Us answered that challenge by announcing it would open stores at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Best Buy and Walmart will open at 6 p.m., while Target will begin offering Black Friday deals at 8 p.m. Thursday.

In Wilmington, the management of Independence Mall has announced that, beginning at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving day, three of its retailers – Belk, JCPenney and Sears – will open their outside entrance doors for early bird shoppers.

Other mall retailers will open up for shopping beginning at midnight, staying open until 9 p.m. Friday.

Mall officials said a complete list of mall stores and Thanksgiving weekend hours are available at www.shopindependencemall.com.

Although they won’t be changing their hours of business or offering steal deals to lure customers, three Wilmington businesses are expecting healthy sales for the day after Thanksgiving.

Star Sosa, owner of Spectrum Art & Jewelry, has grown to expect Black Friday refugees to visit her shop in The Forum for a calmer, more relaxed shopping experience. 

“The Forum is right across the street from Mayfaire,” she said, noting that several big box stores and other chains at Mayfaire Town Center will lure customers with large discounts on a few items. “We maintain our normal hours, opening at 10 a.m. At 11 [a.m.], 12 [noon] or 1 [p.m.] we’ll start seeing shoppers who have been up since 3 [a.m.] at doorbuster sales across the street come in to our shop. They will spend a lovely afternoon at The Forum. We’re serving hot coffee and treats.

“There are many sources for Black Friday hot items; the only difference among them is price. I have things you can’t find anywhere else in town, and [customers] remember where these things came from. We’re selling an experience.”

Across town, the Great Outdoor Provision Company at Hanover Center has high expectations for Black Friday.

“Black Friday is a much busier day in terms of traffic and sales [than average],” said store manager Tim Glover, noting that the outdoor outfitter doesn’t try to compete with big boxes in terms of huge sales.

Allen Sabin, co-owner of the Transplanted Garden on 16th Street, said much the same thing.

“On Black Friday, most people go to big box stores for big huge deals. It’s a bigger day than normal for us, but it’s not huge,” he said. “Our sales tend to build during December all the way through Christmas.”

Sabin said, for his garden center and specialty gifts store, sales this fall have been “exceptional for us. And November has been very, very good, so we’re hoping for a good December.” 

Small Business Saturday, a campaign American Express launched in 2010, also is expected to provide a bump in sales this week, local business owners said.

“[Black Friday sales] definitely carry over to Small Business Saturday for us, and there is definitely a percentage of our customers who choose to shop at small businesses,” Glover said. “American Express and the $10 discount [available to card holders] helps.”