ASHLAND, Ky. — As retailers across the nation make their holiday sales projections, local mall

Ashland Town Center reports a strong start for the first official shopping day of the holiday season — the day after Thanksgiving — also affectionately referred to as ‘Black Friday’.

“Our holiday season kicked off earlier than most with our Magical Night of Giving the Sunday before Thanksgiving. It’s an after-hours sales and entertainment event that also serves as a fundraiser for local non-profit organizations who sell tickets,” says Mall Marketing Director Jaime Bloss.

Bloss says the after-hours event generated over $65,000 for charities last Sunday. “The success of Sunday’s event indicates a very strong start for the season,” she said.

Sixteen percent of U.S. consumers report they plan to start their holiday shopping on Black Friday, according to an ICSC-Goldman Sachs Consumer Holiday Spending Survey.

According to the survey, they found consumers will purchase clothing as the main gift along with toys and games. The three areas that showed more consumer interest than last year include music, CDs and DVDs, housewares and electronics.

Specific products that analysts say stood out as potential big sellers included e-readers, video game consoles, laptops and Smart Phones.

For more information, please contact the Mall Office at 606.324.1100 or visit www.ashlandtowncenter.com.

Ashland Town Center is anchored by Belk and JCPenney and is located at 500 Winchester Avenue.