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As traditional as Grandma’s homemade stuffing and Mom’s pumpkin pie, shoppers were out in full force the day after Thanksgiving. Commonly known as Black Friday, since its numbers put retailers in the financial "black," the hectic day saw some grabbing a spot in line Thursday evening before the food coma could kick in, while others tore themselves from warm beds in hopes of getting the best deal on hot-ticket items that topped loved one’s lists.
According to msnbc.com, nationwide totals for the day came in at $10.3 billion, up 8.3 percent from last year, with an increase in the number of people coming out, as well.
The local scene fit right in with the trend, with crowds ready to buy, lug boxes and cross names off their lists.
4:23 a.m.
Best Buy, 2300 S. Columbus Blvd.
Danielle Strauss took one look at the lengthy line snaking around several storefronts and asked a stranger, "Is this the line for Best Buy?" The first-time Black Friday shopper was met with a "yes" and a half-hearted smile that said "this is what it’s all about." The 19-year-old from Ninth Street and Snyder Avenue was surprised to hear reports shoppers who nabbed spots near the door had been there since 7:30 the previous night with hopes of getting first crack at some of the hot sellers, such as the $1,500 LG 42-inch LCD TV on sale for $997.
"I was right, we should have just come here last night," Strauss’ mother Eleanor Ruggiano, also of Ninth and Snyder, said. "We literally just rolled out of bed."
The pair were eyeing deals on computers, including laptops that started at $229.
"You just go; today you just go," Ruggiano, who was next headed to Toys ‘R’ Us for singalong videos for her granddaughter, said.
The pair felt a bit overwhelmed by the line, but decided to come out anyway to see if the deals were better in the early-morning hours. The sun had yet to rise and, as the 41-year-old joined the crowd of hundreds, she, too, felt like she was still sleeping. "My brain doesn’t really function this early in the morning."
As the clock counted down to 5 a.m. — Best Buy’s opening time — the crowd, who had been blasted with music provided by a DJ since 3 a.m. gathered up their blankets, hats, scarves and gloves and prepared to make their way inside.
"I’m ready!" Alexiss Robinson, who had been in line since 8:45 Thanksgiving night, exclaimed.
The North Philly resident was on the prowl for a TomTom GPS unit on sale for $170 from $300. "I already know where it’s at," she said with a laugh. "I’m gonna run in, get it and keep moving."
Also a first-timer for the biggest shopping day of the year, the 25-year-old came solo, but didn’t mind a bit. "You meet friends," she said. "Everybody’s helping everybody out, keeping warm."
She was unsure of her shopping plans for the rest of the day, having been focused on her first stop for so long. "You know any time you can get a sale at Best Buy you got to jump right on it."
General Manager Tom Parlett said the crowd size was around the same as last year and the store would stay busy throughout the day.
Inside, Jessica Ferretti was overseeing one of several registers on her first early-morning Black Friday shift at the store she’s worked at for two years.
"So far they’re pretty calm and controlled," she said of the first shoppers. "The store seems to be very organized for it."
Ferretti said, even when she worked later in the day in previous years, the number of shoppers stayed consistent, but she would most likely never join them.
"I never have done it," she said of Black Friday shopping. "I’m like a last-minute shopper. I’ll wait until the 21st or something."
5:30 a.m.
Target, 1 Mifflin St.
The temperatures were hovering in the 30s, but Black Friday veteran Tom Smith wasn’t bothered. "I’ve done this every year for 20 years," the resident of Front and McKean streets said from the front of a line that wrapped around the building.
Electronics topped the 44-year-old’s list, with an Olevia 37-inch flat-screen TV on sale for $550 as his most wanted along with a Toshiba 20-inch TV/DVD combo, which he was looking to buy two of. "Every time they want something, I come out and get it," he said of family at the holidays.
Fellow shopper Barbara Moment of 76th Street and Elmwood Avenue stood off to the side, eyeing the inside of the store while waiting for her sister to catch up to the front of the line in hopes of snagging the coveted 37-inch TVs. "After this I’m going to Wal-Mart," she said. "I’ll be out shopping all day."
Moment’s list included six children and five grandchildren and there was no limit on the day’s total. "That’s bad I know," she said laughing. "I really only have one child I have to buy for anymore — my son is 14, he’s a good kid."
The shivering crowd — many keeping warm by wrapping their hands around coffee cups — chatted, but were soon interrupted by Tom Bolton of Target executive operations.
"There’s plenty of carts, this line isn’t too bad," he said while looking at customers outside the doors. "As long as everybody takes their time and stays under control, we’ll be fine."
Just before the doors opened at 6 a.m., he gave the customers an overview of where the hot items were, warning them not to push or shove. Finally, the key turned and the shoppers filed in, many sprinting to the back of the store where the electronics were displayed. At 6:08, a victorious Smith emerged. With trunk propped open by the two TVs he had snagged, the shopper shouted, "I got it!"
6:21 a.m.
Wal-Mart, 1601 S. Columbus Blvd.
The doors had been open for about 90 minutes and the crowd had cleared, but the lot at Wal-Mart still looked busy with a steady stream of shoppers finishing up — at this store anyway — and making their way to their cars. Sherry Rhodes and daughter Susan Lee, both of West Philadelphia, waited for their ride outside with a full cart. Friday marked their first time shopping the day after Thanksgiving and the pair said they didn’t see what all the hype was about.
"We will never do it again. It’s just too much," Lee, 25, said while looking at the half-dozen bags of dolls, Legos and other toys in her cart.
"I didn’t think the store was big enough with all the people in here," Rhodes, 50, added. "When I saw all the people, I thought I wouldn’t get out of here until 10."
But the shopping had only just begun for Lee, who decided to make a day of it after her mother cried "No" when asked if she was headed anywhere else.
"I’m going to Kmart, they got MP3 players on sale," Lee said as she turned to look at the trunk that was quickly filling up. "I don’t know how we’re going to get all this in here."
