Sandra Santos/Daily Journal Michelle Neville and Danielle Maglione shop for shoes at Cathy Jean inside of Hillsdale Shopping Center in San Mateo Tuesday afternoon. Three days prior to Black Friday, Cathy Jean already has a wide selection of sale items, up to 70 percent off some shoes.

Mom’s stocking were on and her hair done with care in hopes of finding the best sales out there.

The scene starts earlier annually as Black Friday marks the biggest shopping day of the year. Some stores will open well before dawn in hopes of drawing bargain-hunters to early holiday specials. Locally, shops are gearing up with extra staff but also less inventory in preparation to meet the demands of a holiday season which may include stricter budgets for shoppers.

Black Friday was the top shopping day of 2008, according to ShopperTrak. It kicks off what is traditionally the largest time for purchasing goods annually. Last year, retail stores saw $28.2 billion in sales in December, a 40 percent jump over the previous month, according to the U.S. Census.

Today marks the beginning of this tradition with Black Friday. At malls across the area, doors open early. Old Navy at the Shops of Tanforan will welcome shoppers at 3 a.m. With the mall itself offering a number of promotions. Doors for the mall open at 6 a.m. While supplies last, shoppers can earn a $10 mall gift card by spending over $100; spending the same amount results in a free one year Martha Stewart Living subscription; and free holiday mistel-totes filled with goodies and offers will be handed out. These specials can all be taken advantage of at the MerryGiving Gift Zone in front of Old Navy.

At the Hillsdale Shopping Center, beginning at 8 a.m. $25 gift certificates to selected stores within the mall will be made available to shoppers who purchase at least $250 in goods while supplies last.

Crate and Barrel hired 35 new employees for this holiday season, doubling its usual crew, said Diane Gomes, department manager and night manager for the San Mateo location.

Black Friday is not the store’s biggest day of the year, Dec. 26 is. But, Gomes does expect a crowd today. Opening one hour early, at 9 a.m., Thanksgiving goods will be marked down and holiday decor is already out in force. The day after Christmas always seemed to have a larger draw, however, for the Christmas markdowns, Gomes said.

This year the store took on a smaller inventory of holiday items in hopes of not making premature markdowns. Items offered were made to be a bit more affordable while still matching the Crate and Barrel style, Gomes said. Those interested in taking advantage of the after-Christmas markdowns should note the store plans to open on this day as well.

Online sales have gained popularity in recent years as a way to grab deals without the lines, and this year the buying has already started.

Last year, retail sales online or through catalog orders totaled $24 billion in December, according to the U.S. Census.

Visitors to Web sites offering Black Friday offers began spiking in the last weeks of October through November. Week to week, the Web traffic increased 87 percent, starting at 3.8 million unique viewers during the week ending Nov. 8 to 7 million during the week ending Nov. 15, according to the Nielsen Company.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.