Anyone shop on Black Friday? Any reports from the scene?

[CoffeeCat]

I am wondering if others went shopping today, and how busy the stores were in your area.

I know it's insanity, but I love shopping on Black Friday. I noticed this year, that the stores
were less busy and crowded than in previous years. I usually get up early (5:00 a.m.) just to
get a newspaper. They're usually sold out by 7:00 a.m. this year. I got my papers at 6:00 a.m.
and they had more unsold papers than I had ever seen.

Our malls/stores here were crowded when they first opened, but the crowds weren't as large as
they were during previous Black Fridays. Also, I didn't think the deals were that superb.
A local dept store usually has terrific door-busters, but this year the door busters were lukewarm.

We had to run to Target tonight for a present for the kids and the store was dead. Hardly anyone there.

It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out on a national level. I thought the stores were
much busier last year, and last year was a supposed-failure due to the initial economic meltdown.

I'd be interested in hearing what other people experienced today, in their areas of the country. I'm
in Des Moines, Iowa.

[etherealtruth]

1. I had to run into a convenience store for coffee filters ...

... but, that really doesn't count, does it?

[CoffeeCat]

6. Well...it could count...

...if you felt there was a stampede of early-bird shoppers in or around the coffee filters.

;)

[MannyGoldstein]

2. Just Outside of Boston, All Seemed Very Calm

Went to Game Stop at the mall with my kid so that he could get a game... spoke to the nice staff, they said things were much quieter than previous years. I didn't see many people at the mall.

[NYC_SKP]

3. Here some Black Friday sales started last weekend. I went to Best Buy.

Snagged a 26" LCD TV with DVD player for $299.

There were stacks and stack of LCD TVs of different sizes, all low prices.

This was last Saturday.

I went back in the evening and it was pretty busy.

[Sanity Claws]

4. Seemed light

I didn't go to any malls but I was in Manhattan and subway traffic seemed light.
I passed some shops and they didn't seem especially busy.

[Stephanie]

20. Everyone leaves Manhattan for TG weekend

Manhattan is not the epicinter for Black Friday in any case. Those of us in the city this weekend either have to work (me), or are tourists.

[Sanity Claws]

27. My experience is that there are usually more tourists

Tourism is definitely down.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. I would rather drink bleach than shop at a mall on Black Friday

so I didn't. I did do some ordinary shopping (needed cat food), and the small neighborhood stores I usually go to seemed about as busy as you'd expect on a weekend. There aren't enough wild horses on Earth to drag me to someplace like the Mall of America on a heavy shopping day, though, so I have no idea how busy places like that were.

[EFerrari]

7. Me, too. With a canned spinach chaser.

lol

[Warpy]

19. I feel the same way. I hate shopping, period,

and throw in a crowd and I'm outta there fast.

I even bagged the idea of going to an art show today.

Maybe I'll get there tomorrow.

Maybe not.

I really hate shopping.

[Name removed]

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Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LakeSamish706]

9. Bellingham here, funny Costco store was busy, but the checkouts were not...

busy at all. Makes one wonder if many were just in there for the free food at the demo's. hmmmm... Seemed like there were major lineups at these food give aways.

[EFerrari]

25. Our CostCo in San Jose was dead on Wednesday night. That was weird. n/t

[SemiCharmedQuark]

10. Chicago area Walmart was packed. I was in line from 2-5 am and number 32 of 37 for the 32 inch TV.

My cousin was there for housewares because he just bought his first house. He said the housewares were actually worse than the TVs because they just rolled out a pallet full and everyone was clustered around them waiting until the employees unwrapped them. In comparison to past years, every doorbuster item had a specific line that was shut down after every item was spoken for. So everybody was lined up and just sat down in the aisles until 5 rolled around.

Because they were turning people away after the items were all spoken for, I didn't realize how crowded it was until I went to check out. I spent an hour in the checkout line, my cousin got through in about 45 minutes.

It wasn't as bad as some years, but I think the lines did make a difference. A friend told me the line for Menards was 2 hours to checkout. Target was kind of dead, but they, unlike Kohls, Menards and Walmart, did not send out ads in the newspapers this year.

[Atman]

29. I hope you bought the service plan

That made-for-Wal-Mart no-brand Chinese tv will be dead within a few months. Hey, at least it was cheap!

.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

37. Actually, I've had a lot of success with Emerson.

The first electronic appliance I ever had was Emerson--a VCR that was a gift for my 8th grade graduation. Still going strong after 11 years. I've also still got my Emerson Smartset clock radio. The only thing wrong with that is that it is off for two weeks a year and requires me to manually change the time zone ahead because it was made before Congress changed Daylight savings.

Regardless, I did get the service warranty.

[CoffeeCat]

30. We got a Target "Black Friday" ad...

Around here, Target had a special ad that started on black friday and goes until today. It was a special
insert in our newspaper--along with ads from Walmart, Toys R Us, local department stores, Menards, Best Buy, etc.

Our Target was dead Friday night, but I guess it was fairly busy during the day.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

38. Because Walmart was price matching, everyone in line had ads from everywhere else.

I saw that some people had Target ads. They must have advertised somewhere, just not in the Trib I guess.

[beyurslf]

Black Friday is a tradition in my family that goes back as far as I can remember.

I love getting up absurdly early and getting in line somewhere. We were at Walmart at 3 am. It was very busy, more so than previous years. We were able to pay right in the line we were in so we could leave about 5:20. (The sale started at 5.) The checkout lines snaked halfway back in the store. A friend said it took her 45 minutes to check out. We went to Target. It was busier than I have ever seen any store. You couldn't move. We had to park in the bank parking lot next door. We were lucky to get a shopping cart. It took us almost an hour to check out. Sears was busy but not totally packed after that. The line was bad but they managed it poorly and kept moving people around in line. By the time we got to Penney's it had calmed down but they were still fairly busy.
Later, my boys went to the mall, about 3 or 4. It was pretty full in the parking lot. All in all, a great Black Friday shopping day and looking forward to next year already!

[FrenchieCat]

11. Northern California....

My daughter and her boyfriend left yesterday at midnight, and came back to day around 2:00 p.m.

They had a bunch of bags in their arms. The Great Mall in Milpitas was opening their doors at midnight, this morning....

I asked if they had been shopping since 12:00 a.m. last night, and they said yes.

I'm impressed with their shopping prowess, as neither had that much money that I know of, but they still bought quite a few impressive outfits (they both work).

I asked if it was crowded, and she said, it was like Disneyland in August.

My cousin called to tell me she had gone shopping for the first time on Black Friday.
I asked the sales were good. She said she only spent $200.00 but came away set for Christmas gifts for all of her nieces and nephews and then some.

I only went to the convenience store, so I personally didn't experience it. :shrug:

[Blackhatjack]

12. Relatively small crowd, bought almost exclusively doorbusters, checked out 5:02 am 3rd in line...

Once the doorbusters were gone, most headed straight to the checkouts --and to other stores. I asked those around me what they were buying and where headed next. Almost all the same.

Many of the most wanted items were only 2-20 total in stock, so that did not take long.

[tomm2thumbs]

13. I pledged on another DU posting to not go shopping today

so I didn't - but gifts I ordered last week started to arrive today, so it was meant to be!

[Iggo]

14. Whittier, CA and La Habra, CA...a little busier than a typical Saturday.

I didn't roll out of bed til 11, though. And I didn't go anywhere near the Best Buy or the WalMart. Traffic was a little heavy. I take buses, though, so I don't really sweat that part of it. I asked at a couple stores (JC Penny's and Sears) and they said it was real busy early in the morning, but not so much later. At about 1 in the afternoon, Sports Authority was obviously overstaffed, as was Radio Shack and the office-type store (Office Depot or the other one, I never get it right). Target was pretty busy, but they always are on weekends.

[951-Riverside]

15. I'm not going to lie

It was very crowded in my area and parking spaces were scarce. Kmart, Walmart, Target, Sears, Best Buy, Staples, Old Navy and Kohls all had ridiculously long lines that went nowhere.

Looked like people were primarily buying jackets, shoes, computers, computer supplies and big screen televisions. BTW, the bumbling law makers in California can take that unreasonably high e-waste recycle tax... err fee and shove it straight up their e-asses.

[TheWebHead]

16. the scene from my house was calm and quiet

great deals on a computer and monitor at newegg and tigerdirect respectively. Besides checking for coupon codes now, people should add bing cashback and billmelater to see if whoever you're buying from has a discount w/ either.

[rwheeler31]

17. no

[kevinbgoode]

18. I did no shopping. . .but then, I have very few gifts to purchase

this year.

I did look online, and some things were moving that had limited inventory. But the ads I saw for the brick-and-mortars really weren't that enticing on most things. . .and they seemed to really be pushing big ticket items that many people can't afford this year anyway.

[cynatnite]

21. My friend and I pulled off a great team effort of shopping...

We divided and conquered. Our lists were mostly filled, we had a great brunch afterwards, and actually enjoyed ourselves.

With both of us having such tight budgets we managed to get most of our Christmas shopping completed.

[Ahpook]

22. I forgot all about it

and drove to the guitar store for strings. What a fucking mistake that was:)

Crowded to the core with all amps on "11" at once. Anything from Alice Cooper to ZZ top was screaming through this building.

I got my strings though:)

[Johonny]

23. went into the high price areas of LA

wasn't that impressed with the crowd. Some of the stores were completely empty. Don't think some of these retailers are going to make it to 2010.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

24. VERY BUSY

Cars filled the parking lot at 4:00 a.m.
Impossible to park by noon.
The lines at Starbucks were ridiculous.
Navigating the stores was unpleasant.
Women's bathroom closed due to woman passed out inside.

I don't know if it was packed only because people had no money and were looking for sales, or because things are a little better, or both.

This was in Tallahassee, FL.

[Greyhound]

26. No matter what really happens, we will be bombarded with "reports" of either

"better that expected, considering how bad the economy is", or the "inexplicable last minute turn around just in time to save the year".

[robcon]

28. Busy as hell, lots of bargains.

I went to Kohl's and Home Depot.

[Catshrink]

31. I had to buy a toothbrush

really. I'm visiting family and forgot mine so ran out to Walgreen's early in the morning. There were only a few people there -- while I was at it I bought some M&Ms for $1/bag but damn, I had to buy two to get the price. They're going in the next box to my nephew in Afghanistan.

And, to 'fess up, later in the day we went to Kohl's to buy the same nephew a watch. He wanted one that lights up for when he's on night patrol. They were on sale of course, and we had a $10 coupon so not a bad price. By the time we went, the store had shoppers but about the same as a busy Sunday.

[WilliamPitt]

32. I stayed home and watched the rain come down

Bought a coffee and a pack of smokes, so technically I broke the "Buy Nothing Day" compact, but I did not participate in the shop-a-thon anywhere else.

My wife, however, is a manager at a large retail store that is located in a plaza with a dozen other large retail stores. She worked yesterday from 8am to 6pm, and looked like she'd been devoured and shat out by wolves when she got home.

Glad I stayed in.

[DireStrike]

33. NYC retail employee here

I work in a clothing company which has three major branches. I work in the "cheap" branch.

We were open on thanksgiving. It was incredibly busy and we exceeded goals by a lot, though we were only open for 8 hours.

On black friday we were open for 21 hours. We made 3 or 4 times as much as on thanksgiving, but it was not as busy. We again exceeded goals by far.

[Honeycombe8]

36. That's a good sign. nt

[DireStrike]

40. I was wrong actually

We didn't make goal on black friday. We had a strong start but it didn't pan out.

[Stevenmarc]

34. Well I did have to go to an art store to pick up a frame

for a piece that has to be dropped off this Sunday. It really wasn't that crowded, in fact they handed me a first 50 customers coupon for 40% off so I used the opportunity to pick up a mat cutting system that usually never goes on sale. It was a good day.

[Honeycombe8]

35. Went to Best Buy to look at laptops, and to Wal Mart.

Both very, very busy. Had to park fairly far away, but not like in some other years where I had to park at the last aisle by the road. Could be because they opened earlier, so the traffic was more spread out.

Best Buy was too crowded for me to get a good, long look at the laptops. Don't know why I thought Black Friday would be a good day for that.

Wal-Mart - there were no carts. Had to carry my stuff in my arms. Got a $4 DVD (The Grudge), and a $5 DVD (Gran Torino) for holiday entertainment. Plus a few supplies. Just little stuff. The DVD player I went to look at? It was nowhere to be seen. Guess they sold out of it, or never had it.

Best Buy...the laptop deals I went to see? Online it said "sold out." And they weren't in the store at all. So those deals didn't really exist.

[nadinbrzezinski]

39. I wasn't gonna do it since last year I did for a new washing machine

But I meandered my way into a local Best Buys around 11:00 to get a puter for a friend. Realize the fifty dollar difference IS a lot of money for them. To my shock and surprise, I still found a good deal.

Now Target was jumping... got a jacket for a baby boy and a couple warm sockies... was looking for the electronics.

Anyhow they were actually more crowded than last year. but the puter I got, a netbook, was still part of the good deals, and they had a half a pallet left.

I still managed to save them quite a bit of money...

But there was definitely more traffic than last year. Hell, last year I was SHOCKED that I managed to go into Sears and it was ME and the staff.