AUBURN - Black Friday shoppers will barely have time to shake off the drowsiness from a big Thanksgiving meal when the traditional shopping season begins in the morning.

Well, whether it's late night or early morning is debatable, with major retailers J.C. Penney at the Fingerlakes Mall and Kohls at Fingerlakes Crossing opening at 4 a.m. this year. Mall entertainment merchant FYE will also open its doors at 4.

“Every year we open earlier because our customers expect us to open earlier,” J.C. Penney store manager Curt Finley said. “Black Friday is a very unique experience, people relish that day, it's a shopping day.”

Several shoppers map out strategic itineraries beforehand.

“A lot of that has to do with, 'What time do they open?'” Finley said. “So, the earlier you open, the better chance you have of being that first stop.”

Retail residents of the Routes 5 and 20 commercial corridor in Aurelius are gearing up for an early morning rush and strong sales throughout the holidays despite high energy prices and a sluggish economy.

“I'm actually looking forward to it because of the synergy with all the new stores across the street,” mall manager Diane Jurczak-Prue said, referring to Fingerlakes Crossing. “I think it's going to be a huge year for us.”

Bass Pro Shops is greeting early bird shoppers with open arms. In addition to Thanksgiving Day hours, the outdoor specialist will have about a half-dozen tents set up tonight that people can use overnight while waiting for the 6 a.m. Friday opening.

The campout begins at 7 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, with several drawings, refreshments and giveaways to entice a crowd for the big day. Promotions manager George Fiorille expects the nationwide stunt to get positive patron feedback.

“We're all geared up and ready to go,” said Fiorille, who anticipated a shopping season just as good if not better than last year's due to the arrival of more stores across the road. “We're hoping the more competition, the more people it's going draw.”

Dick's Sporting Goods and Kohls each will notch their first Friday after Thanksgiving in the growing plaza. Still under construction, Circuit City is expected to open before Christmas.

“We're really hoping to hit the ball out of the park with these retailers coming on line this year,” Fingerlakes Crossing developer Joe Goethe, of the Cameron Group, said. “Over the past few years, we've been working hard to get these leases signed and get the spaces filled to find a balance with the eastern end of the city. And with Kohls, Dick's and Circuit City coming on line, I really think we're getting there.”

Home Depot was the first tenant to open at the Crossing in 2006. A 7,500-square-foot Petco location should be completed by March.

“I think we're truly striking a balance in the Auburn market,” he said.

Wal-Mart, Lowes and several Auburn Plaza tenants anchor the east end of town.

And even without door-buster specials or early hours, some downtown merchants feel that they also benefit from big box development nearby.

“I can honestly say with the amount of development out there, we've seen a lot of new faces,” said Mike Speno, co-owner of Speno Music, 3 E. Genesee St. “Any new traffic is good traffic, that's helped all the merchants.

“Even though those businesses aren't located downtown, people still have go through here to get there,” he said.

For downtown specialty shops, service is the competitive edge, store owners say.

“When you're here, we give it our all,” said Sam Chindamo Jr. of Sam's Shoe Service.

He relies on a number regulars who fill their holiday shopping lists at 20 E. Genesee St. each year. Both Speno and Chindamo expect a steady flow of shoppers throughout the season rather than a rush on Black Friday.

While Auburn-area retailers expected healthy sales figures with an assist from local development, the forecast was mixed across the state. Three-quarters of retailers surveyed by the Retail Council of New York expected to see sales on par or in excess of last year's.

The survey of the trade association's 5,000 members indicated 37 percent of respondents anticipated higher sales due to improved marketing efforts. The 21 percent who anticipated lower sales cited high energy costs and the struggling economy as factors.

Another 41 percent of survey-takers predicted figures on the level with 2006's bottom line.

“In spite of all the doom and gloom, we're expecting a pretty decent season,” said Speno, who was busy unloading several dozen crates of merchandise on Wednesday.

Staff writer Shane Liebler can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or shane.liebler@lee.net

Top toys for 2007

For girls:

1) Barbie

2) Bratz

3) Dolls (generic)

4) Dora the Explorer

5) Disney Princess

6) Disney Hannah Montana

7) Nintendo Wii

8) Webkinz

9) Elmo

10) American Girl

For boys:

1) Transformers

2) Video games

3) Nintendo Wii

4) Cars (generic)

5) Spiderman

6) LEGOs

7) Thomas the Tank Engine

8) X-Box 360

9) Elmo

10) Remote control vehicles

Source: National Retail

Federation survey

For die-hard shoppers

A sampling of local Black Friday early openings:

4 a.m. - J.C. Penney, Kohls and FYE

5 a.m. - Sears, KB Toys and Wal-Mart specials begin

6 a.m. - Bass Pro Shops and remaining Fingerlakes Mall merchants, Bed Bath & Beyond, Big Lots

8 a.m. - Marshalls

A sampling of local retailers open on Thanksgiving:

Wal-Mart, regular 24 hours

Bass Pro Shops, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Big Lots, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.