Orange County Register

From Register reporter Erika Ritchie, reporting from Fashion Island:

It was more of a dog show than a shopping event Friday afternoon at Fashion Island.

From Great Danes to Chihuahuas, and poodles to dachshunds, there were more dogs than shopping bags, it seemed.

“You don’t get to shop with your dog in Northern California,” said Catherine Reese, 41, from Witter Springs near Napa Valley. Reese came south for a Thanksgiving campout at the dunes in Newport Beach.

She brought her two Chihuahuas in a black-and-white, tiger-stripe carrier for the shopping experience. They couldn’t stay away from a 9-month-old black Great Dane named Pono, from Riverside. His owner, Brunson Achiu, 56, came to Fashion Island with his family to socialize the dog for an upcoming dog show at the Orange County Fairgrounds next week.

“People are stopping us every five steps,” he said. “This is the best day to bring him out to meet people.”

Other shoppers took advantage of deals at some of the specialty stores.

The Ultimate Penguin casual wear store had 40 percent off all merchandise, including 40 percent off sales items. Some items were marked down as low as $18. According to store staff, people were in a happy, holiday spirit. It was busy but not hectic.

Pain du Monde, a coffee, pastry and sandwich place in the Atrium Court of the mall, opened at 7 a.m. and eight people were already lined up.

“I was very surprised by how early people were here,” said Beth Petersen, a barrista there.

(Photo by Sam Gangwer, The Orange County Register)

More on Black Friday shopping in Orange County:

• High end stores in Fashion Island had shoppers anxious for deals
  
• Surfwear goes on sale
• Shoppers: lackluster deals?
• Shoppers gather at Fashion Island
• Irvine Spectrum crowd bearable
• Deals and freebies at Brea Mall
• Shops at Mission Viejo off to a slow start
• Brea Mall is rocking
• Black Friday crowds thin out after initial rush
• Black Friday shopping starts with a bang
• Hundreds pack Mission Viejo Target for good deals
• More coverage of Black Friday 2009, including mall hours, sales and more

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