Ready for takeoff

Consumers may have been ticking off holiday purchases for weeks, but the shopping season is about to blast off.

Retailers across Massachusetts will open their doors Friday for traditional Black Friday sales, some starting soon after midnight.

The annual shopping frenzy holds the potential to boost a season that many retailers already expect will be healthy, because consumers have spent recent years paying down debts, replacing cars and fixing their homes, according to Jon B. Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts.

“I think (consumers) are shifting into spending on tangible goods,” Mr. Hurst said. “There’s some pent-up demand.”

The National Retail Federation estimates 135.8 million people could head for stores this weekend, even though many consumers tell the trade group’s surveyors that they started buying gifts weeks ago.

Consumer Reports, the consumer advocacy organization, reported a similar outlook, projecting that 55 percent of holiday shoppers could buy online or visit stores this weekend.

At the Walmart superstore in Worcester, Manager John J. Scanzillo has been making Black Friday preparations for crowds. Those include arranging for queues outside the store during the hours before a 1 a.m. opening, and reserving off-duty Worcester policy officers for security.

Also, he said “there will be queue lines set up throughout the store for the 12 hot items” promoted by Walmart.

Black Friday has evolved over time as a shopping concept. Many shoppers still line up in the wee hours of morning to snag deals, but retailers have made it easier for others to avoid the crush by offering discounts earlier in November. Consumers have also migrated online to shop, impacting foot traffic to bricks-and-mortar stores.

“I think a lot of people feel more confident that if they don’t make it out on Black Friday, they’re not going to miss a lot of the good deals that are happening,” said Kate Ferrara, leader of the retail practice in New England for accounting and consulting firm Deloitte.

The National Retail Federation projects U.S. retail spending during November and December – not including spending on autos, gasoline and restaurants - will jump 3.7 percent this year, to $630.5 billion. That includes a healthy 6 percent to 8 percent jump in online purchasing over the same period last year.

The Retailers Association of Massachusetts, which represents about 4,000 mostly mom-and-pop retailers, is forecasting a 6.5 percent jump in holiday season sales in Massachusetts.

At the Solomon Pond Mall in Marlboro, which is owned and run by Simon Property Group, stores have been preparing their window displays for Black Friday, and reaching out to customers on social media, said Sheila Hennessy, Simon area mall marketing director.

“I think there’s a lot of tradition in people getting together, whether it’s girlfriends or families or college friends coming to the mall,” she said. “What malls do, it’s shopping, but it’s also, ‘Let’s go grab a bite together.’ That can’t be done online.”

Susan Reynolds of Paxton, who was shopping at Auburn Mall this week, said she likes the hype of Black Friday, and plans to shop Saturday and Sunday with her daughter. In fact, they hope to complete all their gift purchases this weekend.

“We have hot chocolate, go to lunch, do more shopping,” she said. “That’s our tradition.”