My Black Friday 2007 Recap
As always, I made my way out into the frenzied crowds this morning for little holiday shopping. Here's a brief recap of highlights and low lights...
3:45am: Wake up
I threw on some clothes and headed out to my first destination - Kohl's
4:10am: Kohl's
This year Kohl's broke with Black Friday tradition and opened at 4am, one hour before the next major group of stores including Walmart. I usually hit Kohl's first just because it is an easy in-and-out store. With the new earlier start time this experience was anything but that. When I arrived the parking lot was full. I had to park at an adjacent store just to find a spot. Once inside the shoppers were fast and furious, trying to get what they needed so they could head off to their next big store opening. After standing in line for 20 minutes at the jewelery counter, I was told that the jewelry I wanted...err Beth wanted... was not located there but in another part of the store. What?? How can jewelry not be in the jewelry department? By this time the lines were wrapped around the store I so gave up and went elsewhere.
4:30am: Walmart
I walked across the parking lot to Walmart which was going to be opening at 5am. When I got there, they had decided to let everyone inside but would not let you check out until 5am. They had huge pallets of items in all the major isles. Around each pallet was at least 50 people ready to grab their items when given the go sign. I decided pretty quickly that it just isn't worth fighting these people for whatever it was they were so desperately standing beside. Then I walk past a couple of security guards who are making fun of the shoppers and the fact that they were all just standing there. They didn't understand why people weren't going ahead and picking the stuff up. So I walked back, grab the few items I wanted, all the time getting evil stares by the other would be shoppers, and made my way to the checkout. According to the security guys the deal was you couldn't check out til 5am, but you could pick up your stuff at any time. At the front I was content with waiting 15minutes until the checkouts opened. Then I noticed the self checkouts were already on. So I went ahead and checked my self out. As I walked past the hundreds of people waiting to grad their items, I could hear the grumblings in the crowd wandering who was this guy and how was he already done. A Walmart employee even stopped me and asked what I was doing. I showed her my receipt and told her "they" let me and she just shrugged and said , "Ok".
4:50am: Staples
Staples was the one store I really wanted to hit. They had a great deal on a laptop computer and after already striking out twice this week on getting one, this would be my last chance. I was 11th in line so I felt my chances were pretty good at getting one. The hour or so I stood out in the 30+ degree cold was probably the longest of my Black Friday life. I was freezing. My legs felt numb. So when the manager came to open the doors I was looking forward to the heat about as much I was to my laptop. The manager came out and announced that he would be giving out tickets to get the door buster sale items. As he was going through each item and eventually got to my much anticipated laptop. Then he broke my heart, and ticked me off in the process. He announced they only had two (2) laptops to sell and the first 2 people in line got them. I stepped out of line to ask what the freak was going on. He said Staples sent the Kernersville store no (0) laptops and the two he had came from Greensboro. He said Greensboro had plenty and I could try there if I wanted to. Needless to say I am none to happy with Staples right now.
6:15am: Target
When I entered target it was surprisingly quiet. That was until I made my way to the electronics department. It was so chaotic that a sales employee was standing on the counter threatening to kick people out of the store if that tried to push their way through the lines or try to front. His rant worked to my advantage because as everyone was stopping to watch and listen to this guy screaming threats to the crowd, I made my way in and got everything I needed from that department. I was out of there with my basket full of goodies in 15 minutes!
7:00am: Family Christian Store
I wasn't real sure what to expect since they had no advertisement or online preview but every year they have some great door buster sales and everything in the store is 25% off for the first hour or two. This year was no different. I loaded up on some unexpected goodies like the new Relient K and Jars of Clay Christmas CD's.
7:30am: Krispy Kreme
Picked up some "Hot Now" original glazed to take home.
7:45am: Back Home
Not my best of Black Friday's but still a really good one. I also bought a lot of things online on Thursday that saved me a ton of time this morning. Now I have to start planning for next year!
On a side note... Beth asked me why I always go on my Black Friday excursions alone. I tried explaining to her that anyone else would just slow me down. She didn't understand. Then today as I'm walking through Target, I hear a woman yelling at her teenage son, "Hurry! You have got to pick up the pace. You're holding us back. If you can't keep up then stay in the car!" I thought, "Now that's who I want to go Black Friday shopping with."
3:45am: Wake up
I threw on some clothes and headed out to my first destination - Kohl's
4:10am: Kohl's
This year Kohl's broke with Black Friday tradition and opened at 4am, one hour before the next major group of stores including Walmart. I usually hit Kohl's first just because it is an easy in-and-out store. With the new earlier start time this experience was anything but that. When I arrived the parking lot was full. I had to park at an adjacent store just to find a spot. Once inside the shoppers were fast and furious, trying to get what they needed so they could head off to their next big store opening. After standing in line for 20 minutes at the jewelery counter, I was told that the jewelry I wanted...err Beth wanted... was not located there but in another part of the store. What?? How can jewelry not be in the jewelry department? By this time the lines were wrapped around the store I so gave up and went elsewhere.
4:30am: Walmart
I walked across the parking lot to Walmart which was going to be opening at 5am. When I got there, they had decided to let everyone inside but would not let you check out until 5am. They had huge pallets of items in all the major isles. Around each pallet was at least 50 people ready to grab their items when given the go sign. I decided pretty quickly that it just isn't worth fighting these people for whatever it was they were so desperately standing beside. Then I walk past a couple of security guards who are making fun of the shoppers and the fact that they were all just standing there. They didn't understand why people weren't going ahead and picking the stuff up. So I walked back, grab the few items I wanted, all the time getting evil stares by the other would be shoppers, and made my way to the checkout. According to the security guys the deal was you couldn't check out til 5am, but you could pick up your stuff at any time. At the front I was content with waiting 15minutes until the checkouts opened. Then I noticed the self checkouts were already on. So I went ahead and checked my self out. As I walked past the hundreds of people waiting to grad their items, I could hear the grumblings in the crowd wandering who was this guy and how was he already done. A Walmart employee even stopped me and asked what I was doing. I showed her my receipt and told her "they" let me and she just shrugged and said , "Ok".
4:50am: Staples
Staples was the one store I really wanted to hit. They had a great deal on a laptop computer and after already striking out twice this week on getting one, this would be my last chance. I was 11th in line so I felt my chances were pretty good at getting one. The hour or so I stood out in the 30+ degree cold was probably the longest of my Black Friday life. I was freezing. My legs felt numb. So when the manager came to open the doors I was looking forward to the heat about as much I was to my laptop. The manager came out and announced that he would be giving out tickets to get the door buster sale items. As he was going through each item and eventually got to my much anticipated laptop. Then he broke my heart, and ticked me off in the process. He announced they only had two (2) laptops to sell and the first 2 people in line got them. I stepped out of line to ask what the freak was going on. He said Staples sent the Kernersville store no (0) laptops and the two he had came from Greensboro. He said Greensboro had plenty and I could try there if I wanted to. Needless to say I am none to happy with Staples right now.
6:15am: Target
When I entered target it was surprisingly quiet. That was until I made my way to the electronics department. It was so chaotic that a sales employee was standing on the counter threatening to kick people out of the store if that tried to push their way through the lines or try to front. His rant worked to my advantage because as everyone was stopping to watch and listen to this guy screaming threats to the crowd, I made my way in and got everything I needed from that department. I was out of there with my basket full of goodies in 15 minutes!
7:00am: Family Christian Store
I wasn't real sure what to expect since they had no advertisement or online preview but every year they have some great door buster sales and everything in the store is 25% off for the first hour or two. This year was no different. I loaded up on some unexpected goodies like the new Relient K and Jars of Clay Christmas CD's.
7:30am: Krispy Kreme
Picked up some "Hot Now" original glazed to take home.
7:45am: Back Home
Not my best of Black Friday's but still a really good one. I also bought a lot of things online on Thursday that saved me a ton of time this morning. Now I have to start planning for next year!
On a side note... Beth asked me why I always go on my Black Friday excursions alone. I tried explaining to her that anyone else would just slow me down. She didn't understand. Then today as I'm walking through Target, I hear a woman yelling at her teenage son, "Hurry! You have got to pick up the pace. You're holding us back. If you can't keep up then stay in the car!" I thought, "Now that's who I want to go Black Friday shopping with."
Comments