SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- Some Bay Area stores are getting a jump on the traditional kickoff of the holiday shopping season, by opening their doors to customers Thanksgiving.
A mix of tourists and local bargain hunters gathered in Union Square to check out stores like the Gap and Old Navy.
A shopper from Australia said he was pleased with the discounts.
"It was 20 percent off the normal discounted rate, which was already 50 percent off, so they're well discounted," he said.
KCBS’ Chris Filippi Reports
And one retail expert said it's no surprise that shops want to get a jump on the competition.
"The whole situation is the retail community doesn't know what's going to happen," said Fred Phillips with the consulting firm PDC Restquip. "I think they're really concerned that if it's not going to be a good holiday, they want to get in front of everybody else as fast as they can to sell product."
Phillips said there's another big fear for retailers.
"If people are going to come in, they're going to buy the items that they want to get," said Phillips. "Then, they're going to look at everything else. Well, the retailers want you to spend."
The National Retail Federation reports that holiday sales were down 3.4 percent last season. That's the first drop since the federation started tracking holiday spending in 1992.
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