DATE: Saturday, November 29, 1997           TAG: 9711290233

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NAGS HEAD                         LENGTH:   70 lines

THIS SEASON COULD BE ONE FOR THE BOOKS, MERCHANTS SAY

New-fangled computerized cash registers don't ring like sleigh bells anymore.

But the electronic chatter in the checkout aisle was music to the ears of Outer Banks store owners Friday, the first day of the holiday shopping season.

Forecasters predict a record Christmas season in North Carolina. That's good news for some merchants, who count on the Christmas season for a big chunk of their annual business.

``The selection of merchandise on display is the most diverse ever,'' said James F. Smith, a finance professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. ``People feel good about spending money.''

Parking lots at major retailers and small stores were packed early Friday with shoppers hoping to get a head start on the holiday gift grab.

The Belk department store in Kill Devil Hills reported a hefty increase in traffic from last year. The retailer has locations in the Carolinas and Virginia.

``The day is not yet over, but compared to this time of day a year ago, we're up about 46 percent,'' said Tim Shearin, manager of the Kill Devil Hills store. ``We're doing exceptionally well. I've talked to some of the other store managers who are reporting their sales are up as well.''

Outer Banks shopkeepers may have an advantage over large cities during the holiday weekend, Shearin said.

``We have a luxury here on the Outer Banks that a lot of the malls in big cities don't have,'' Shearin said. ``There are a number of people down here from other places for the holiday weekend, and some of them decide to knock out their shopping in one day. We're not as crowded, the traffic isn't as bad. Some of the local folks we have may decide they can wait because they've got until Christmas.''

Shearin said designer clothing lines and men's and women's fragrances are hot sellers among early shoppers.

``We've been selling a lot of Nautica for men and Liz Claiborne for women,'' said Shearin. ``We also have a wide selection of cosmetics. That's easy for men who are shopping for women because they don't have to worry about size or color.''

For at least one toy store, the shopping season began earlier than expected.

``Earlier in the week, we had people coming in trying to beat the rush,'' said Lisa Bridge, owner of The Toy Boat on the Manteo waterfront. ``Things are going great. It's not crazy, but we've had good steady traffic all day. When people go to lunch at the restaurants downtown, we expect traffic to pick up even more.''

Beanie Babies, the small stuffed animals that were a hot commodity during Christmas '96, still top many a child's Christmas list, Bridge said.

``It's still Beanie Babies,'' she said. ``But we're also selling a lot of arts and crafts, and a lot of stuffed animals. We've had a lot of people put things on layaway.''

Bridge has a recommendation for gift buyers searching for the right present for a family of children.

``I always try to direct people to board games,'' Bridge said. ``If you have to buy for several children in a family, that works well.''

The reasons forecasters like Smith see a green Christmas and a prosperous New Year for the Tar Heel State are record highs in personal income, combined with low unemployment. Of the state's workforce, only 3.7 percent, about 128,400 people, cannot find jobs. As a result, income is up about 6.8 percent, or $11 million for the second quarter of the year, for a seasonally adjusted rate of $172.9 billion.

Smith also credits higher imports of North Carolina-made products as a factor in economic growth. The UNC professor is regarded as one of the nation's top economic forecasters by The Wall Street Journal.

``All of this will set up for a good beginning for 1998,'' Smith said. ``This will be another record year for economic activity. . . . This year is definitely one for the books.''

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