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November 27, 2009

‘Black Friday’ shoppers out before dawn

Some holiday deal hunters stayed up for more than 24 hours

By Arthur E. Foulkes

TERRE HAUTE — This Black Friday had it all.

Remarkably long lines of people waiting to enter stores in the cold, wee hours of the morning, shopping carts filled to overflowing, mega discounts and, yes, some complaints of aggressive shopping.

“It was one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever seen,” said Justin Kennedy of Terre Haute, speaking of shoppers tearing into packages wrapped in plastic at 5 a.m. at one south side retail store. “They were just animals there.”

Elsewhere, thousands of shoppers were standing in long lines outside several stores early Friday before 4 a.m. Even late Thanksgiving night, people were lining up outside Toys R Us, which opened at midnight Thursday – several hours before most other stores.

Several witnesses told the Tribune-Star the line of customers waiting to enter the Toys R Us store near Honey Creek Mall stretched for several hundred yards.

Despite the big crowds and some complaints, many shoppers said they were able to find the items they wanted and many reported enjoying their Black Friday experience.

Many stores were offering “doorbuster” sales on specific items, meaning items that were on sale only in the early morning hours. “BOGO” signs were also peppered throughout many stores – meaning “buy one, get one” free.

“They are having good deals this year,” said Angie Brady, who had a full shopping cart in the parking lot of Toys R Us at 4 a.m. Brady, who is from Arkansas but has family in Terre Haute, said early-morning shopping on Black Friday is a tradition for her. “I come up here every year,” she said.

“I’d rather be sleeping,” said Andrew Mason, Brady’s teenage nephew, who was reluctantly taking part in his aunt’s annual tradition.

Most big stores waited until 4 or 5 a.m. to open their doors Friday. At 3:30 a.m., hundreds of people were lined up outside Kohl’s at Honey Creek Commons on U.S. 41 South. By 4 a.m., the line stretched for several hundred yards to the north. Many people stood in the line for several hours, some wrapped in blankets.

“I’m good to go,” said Lesley Stanley of Terre Haute, who was standing near the front of the Kohl’s line before 4 a.m. wearing three layers of clothes.

Even if there were no good deals, “I’d come just to watch the people because it’s fun,” said Roberta Brooks of Terre Haute, who was also at the front of the Kohl’s line well before the store opened Friday. Brooks and her daughter-in-law, Kristina Brooks, had been in line for about five hours, they said. “It’s fun,” Roberta said.

When Kohl’s opened at 4 a.m., the long line of warmly dressed shoppers moved steadily into the store. It took about 10 minutes for the end of the line to reach the front doors. A store manager, to the cheers of those who had waited in the cold, worked to keep dozens of late-comers from cutting in line.

“This is less of a line than last year,” the manager said, adding he lost count of customers after 700.

Honey Creek Mall opened at 5 a.m., but several mall department stores, including Sears, J.C. Penney and Elder-Beerman opened at 4 a.m. on Black Friday.

H.H. Gregg, meanwhile, also opened at 4 a.m. and, within an hour, dozens of shoppers were standing in checkout lines holding marked-down electronic goods. Many others were placing orders for big-ticket items, such as front-loading washer/dryer sets, which were marked down about 50 percent.

“I’m looking for the deals,” said Joni Ditto, who was shopping about at H.H. Gregg about 4 a.m. with her daughter Jennifer Watson and sister Sally Joseph, all of Terre Haute. Ditto and Watson, in addition to searching for bargains, enjoy shopping early on Black Friday every year, they said. “I have fun,” Watson said.

Black Friday is not just big for customers. It’s also big for retailers. The day is called “black” Friday because it is the day retailers hope to bring their balance sheets into the black.

None of the sales associates at H.H. Gregg would miss Black Friday, said Trent Leo, a salesman at the electronics store in Terre Haute. Sales associates will sell more in 20 minutes on Black Friday than they often will in an entire regular day, he said.

The crowds out shopping early Friday got mixed reviews from other shoppers. Laura Sanders of Paris said some of the crowds appeared “meaner” this year; however, overall, “most people were nice and pleasant.” Amee Cox of Terre Haute, who had been shopping at Old Navy before dawn, said people seemed nicer this year. “I’m seeing people be a lot kinder,” she said.

If some nerves were on edge early Friday, it may be because many shoppers were functioning on little or no sleep.

“I didn’t go to bed,” said Carol Bland of Bloomington, Ill., who was sitting and resting against a wall at Honey Creek Mall around 8 a.m. She had not been to sleep since 8 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, she said smiling. “This is my rest.”

“We’ve been up almost 24 hours,” said Kelly Roberts of West Terre Haute, who was shopping at Kmart around 7 a.m. with her mother, Janice Harris. The shopping hadn’t been bad, except at one store where the crowds were huge, Roberts said. And even at that store, they were able to buy all the items they sought, she said.

“The adrenaline keeps you going,” she said.



Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.

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