‘Twas the Day After Christmas : . . . And All Through the County’s Malls, Many Creatures Were Stirring

It’s one of the poshest stores in town, but much of it looked Monday like a bargain basement.

Shirts, ties, tissue paper and some balled-up jackets were strewn across the floor of the menswear department at Nordstrom in Costa Mesa. Customers were tripping over the merchandise. And Nordstrom was delighted.

That’s because Monday was Day 1 of the normally pricey store’s semiannual sale in menswear. Combine that with the usual after-Christmas crunch and the chaos translates into sales.

The confusion--and buying--was a scene repeated throughout the county’s malls on Monday, Dec. 26--one of the busiest shopping days of the year. At South Coast Plaza, Brea Mall and MainPlace/Santa Ana, mall and store managers reported brisk business.

Business “seems to be phenomenal,” said Jim Charter, general manager at Brea Mall. “People started arriving at 8 a.m., and they keep coming in--I just can’t believe it.”

At MainPlace/Santa Ana, assistant manager Tanya Thomas said, “We’re packed full of people.”

She predicted “a definite substantial increase” in sales over the 1987 holiday season. “It’s taken a whole year (since a major remodeling) to establish a customer base.”

The frenzy was most notable at South Coast Plaza, the Costa Mesa megamall. By midday, there was near-gridlock in the parking lots. Nearby freeways had mile-long backups as shoppers headed toward the mall.

One reason for the crowds is that this year the after-Christmas sales were on the final day of a 3-day weekend. “It’s my idea of a retailer’s weekend,” said a spokeswoman for Bullock’s at South Coast Plaza. “Today is everybody’s day off. So if you’re not watching the Rams, there’s only one thing to do.”

That thing was shop. The Costa Mesa Bullock’s, which had virtually wall-to-wall shoppers by noon, expects to end the holiday season with a double-digit increase in sales over last year.

The mob scene was repeated at Nordstrom in Costa Mesa, where the twice-yearly menswear sale kept the South Coast Plaza store packed throughout the day. “It’s a total zoo in there,” said Karen Avne, 22, pointing inside the store.

By early afternoon, Nordstrom customers were waiting six deep in lines for dressing rooms.

Many were like Mike Fosco of Huntington Beach, whose family skimped this Christmas. Less than $200--roughly $300 less than in 1987--was spent for the entire family of three.

“We decided to spend less this year and try to save,” said Fosco. So on Monday, “We thought we could get some bargains and decided to treat ourselves.”

Tom Downs of Newport Beach said Monday’s sale was “perfect timing” for him to stock up on clothes for a new job.

“I like the crowds. It’s fun,” added Ron Jarrett, 32, a computer consultant from Cypress, who was waiting to pay for an armload of clothing for himself at Nordstrom.

“We’ve all been waiting for today” to snap up bargains, he said.

The scene was considerably calmer at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, which for much of the day didn’t appear to have more customers than it would have on a normal weekend. The Newport Beach mall has been undergoing extensive renovation for more than 2 years.

Still, even at Fashion Island, some retailers said they were delighted with business.

‘Opened a Little Early’

“It’s wild, just terrific,” said Gayle Dvorak, vice president and general manager at Neiman Marcus. “We opened a little early--as soon as I had enough salespeople--because people were standing outside the door. And there was this mad rush into the store.”

Monday’s customer crunch will top a holiday season that “far exceeded my expectations,” Dvorak said. “I think we did everything right this year, and I’m really pleased.”

Not everyone at Fashion Island was there Monday to shop. Stan and Mary Lou Walker relaxed, shaded from the sun by an umbrella, and talked about how they passed up South Coast Plaza to go to the Newport Beach mall.

“I spent the whole season shopping there (at South Coast Plaza),” said Mary Lou, a Costa Mesa resident. “We came here today to soak up the sun and relax. I hate to shop.”

Related story, Part I, Page 1