AND THEY’RE OFF!
Delco shoppers flock to the stores for Black Friday
Temperatures in the teens did little to dissuade shoppers from flocking to area shopping points, some literally going from the from their Thanksgiving feast to feasting on bargains, shopping through the night and wrapping it up later Friday. According to the National Retail Federation, 116 million people were anticipated to shop on Friday alone with more than 164 million expected to head out to partake in the holiday consumption at some part during the Thanksgiving weekend.
At Kohl’s in Havertown, Claudette Mapes and Jane Master had their carts ready and were getting a jump on their holiday shopping at 3 a.m.
Asked why they come out on Black Friday, braving bone-chilling weather nowhere near dawn, Mapes said, “Just for the deals.”
With a duck hooded towel in his hand, Ed Duffy of Collingdale was closing in on his shopping for the day about that time. He had started at 10 p.m. Thanksgiving.
“It’s the only free time from the kids,” he said.
Kay Need stopped at the store in the midst of visiting the area from Jamaica.
Browsing the place mats she said her goal was “to get good deals.”
Analysts predicated that bargain hunting was the main motivating factor in shoppers this season. NRF experts said 65 percent of those shopping this year want to take advantage of deals and promotions. Another 26 percent, they found, were in it for the tradition.
Such was the case for Broomall friends, Kathy Nelson and Heather Discher.
With carts filled to the brim at Kohl’s, they chuckled at themselves and the act of shopping in such early hours, when others could be seen making their purchases wearing pajama pants.
“We’re crazy,” Discher laughed.
The two had started at 10 p.m. Thanksgiving at the King of Prussia Mall, where they pushed it until they closed at 2 a.m. and then they made their way to Kohl’s because they knew they’d be open 24 hours.
Asked if they would get it all done on Friday, Discher immediately responded, “No, no way.”
“Not even a little bit,” Nelson added.
Nelson explained that her husband understood this was her special time.
As far as the deals were going, Discher said, “Last year, we got better.”
Nelson agreed, “(We’ve) got less money and it’s not going very far.”
But, the two pals conceded not all was lost.
“We just get to spend time together,” Discher smiled.
Over at Old Navy, where shoppers were offered 50 percent off their entire purchase, Wendy and Steve Lingle of Broomall were delving into the spirit of the day.
“I used to be on the other side of it,” Wendy Lingle said, adding she worked for the toy store Zany Brainy about 15 years ago back when people would line up all hours of the early morning just waiting for that door to open to get the predawn deals.
For the last 10 years, she’s become one of those Black Friday shoppers and this Friday, she was in a group of six.
“It’s just fun,” she said. “It’s tradition.”
She said she really liked the energy of the shoppers and the excitement that was in the air for a day that many consider the start of the holiday season.
And, it was’t all about consumption.
At 10 a.m., their group had plans to go out together and get breakfast.
After that? “Then go home and take a nap,” Steve Lingle said.
Jessica Louise began early Black Friday shopping about a decade ago. She was working the night shift and would simply head out after her shift was done.
This year, she had special company, bringing her mom, Rochelle, out to the Kohl’s on Baltimore Pike for her first taste of the adventure.
“I’m here because my daughter pulled me out,” her mom said jovially.
This season looked a little different in parts of Middletown, where the former Granite Run Mall is undergoing its transformation into the Promenade at Granite Run.
At Boscov’s, Upland residents Michelle Py and Lee Ramsey were perusing the women’s ware.
“The sales are pretty good, they’re pretty good,” Py said.
Shopping early Black Friday every chance they get, the two used to begin at 4 a.m. but, over time, they’ve found 8 a.m. is just fine for their needs.
The two said the time is really fun, especially with the other shoppers.
“You know what the most exciting thing is is some of the people are really crazy,” Ramsey said.
What they don’t get in Friday’s spree, they know they can, if needed, go to the Internet.
“Some stuff, you can do it online,” Ramsey said. “You can do it online the Cyber Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays .... ”
Boscov’s was their first stop to be followed by PetSmart, then to the movies to see “Fantastic Beasts.”
“You always have to go to the movies on Thanksgiving weekend,” Ramsey said. “You have to.”
Sometimes, it’s just about Christmas lights.
“I’m just getting Christmas tree lights,” Paula Mills of Aston said, as she walked into Boscov’s. “My son just bought a house and I’m just trying to get him started and when I saw the prices, like he has nothing and I’m like $2 a strand...”
For about 12 years, she participated in Black Friday shopping, but no more. Now, she buys things throughout the year as she sees them.
“The need just isn’t there any longer,” she said.
Over at the Springfield Mall, Katey Paulson of Prospect Park and Abbi Curran of Norwood sported red and black flannel pants with a red shirt that read, “Black Friday Shopping Squad.”
On Friday, they started their mission at 3 a.m. at Kohl’s, then Target with the goal of finishing all of
their holiday shopping in one day.
They said they liked the tradition and the deals one in the same.
Part of their tradition was to start the day with a stop at Dunkin’ Donuts and taking a stop for Chik-fil-A.
Asked what they like about the day, Curran answered enthusiastically, “Everything!”
Robbie Geddes and Nicole Kopko of Ridley were
experiencing the early morning experience for the first time.
“I just didn’t have any gifts yet,” Geddes said as he and Kopko said they wanted, like many others, to capture some of the deals.
Starting what they described
as “late,” Danielle Mirigliano of Springfield and her mom, Folcroft native Nancy Roffe, waited until 6 a.m. to begin their shopping at the Springfield Mall.
“I like Springfield Mall,” Roffe said. “I look forward to it.” Although
she now lives in Lancaster, she comes down to Delco just to get to this mall on this particular day.
Roffe said she loved the excitement and the holiday feeling.
Within three hours, they had hit Macy’s, Victoria’s
Secret, Gamestop and Target with plans to patronize more.
Although the two planned to spend a few hours at the mall, Mirigliano said the shopping will take more than one day. “We’ll try to do most of the hot deals,” she said.