Black ... Thursday?
By Kirsten Ballard
Published in News on November 28, 2014 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Kelsey Parrish and her mother Debra Parrish shop for on sale boots in Belk at Berkeley Mall this morning. Belk opened its doors on Thursday night at 6 p.m. for Black Friday shopping.
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Jennifer Briney tries on purses as her husband, Nick, helps her decide which one to purchase at Belk this morning.
Regina Bunch did not plan to go Black Friday shopping.
She simply went to return a Redbox movie at Walmart on Thursday evening.
But the electronic sales were too much to resist. She bought two tablets, an X-box controller and a basketball.
Local shoppers hit stores early Friday morning, but many got a jump on their holiday deal hunting hours after they enjoyed their respective Thanksgiving dinners.
Target, Staples and Old Navy were among the businesses that saw large turnouts Thursday -- as many retailers decided to kick off Black Friday sales a day early.
Ms. Bunch has vivid memories of the waiting lines, chaos and even fights of working on the busiest shopping day of the year.
"It's too much drama for a sale," she said. "I usually don't go out."
Walmart prepared for the lines of customers this year by controlling the traffic throughout the store. Aisles were taped off and hot-ticket items were placed in accessible areas. Coupons were passed out to the earliest shoppers to guarantee they got the items they were waiting for.
At Belk in Berkeley Mall, the staff met at 5 p.m. for a morale-boosting meeting before the store opened its doors at 6.
Boots were the hot item, with $60 markdowns on some pairs.
Sheila Landry said she goes out shopping every year at Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
"It's wonderful," she said. "I got lots of goodies."
She said she plans her Thanksgiving meal earlier to accommodate the early openings.
"We just do lunch so we can go shopping (Thanksgiving) and today," she said.
Evonnie Powell and her husband double-team the sales.
"We split up so we both catch deals," Mrs. Powell said.
She finished her Christmas shopping for her niece and nephew at the Belk evening sale.
Many shoppers arranged meal times and plans to catch the earlier openings.
But for Jena McDonald, dinner comes first.
"We don't leave dinner early," she said. "When we're done, all the husbands go home and we go shop."
She left dinner and arrived at Walmart at 9 p.m. Thursday.
"The crowd wasn't too bad," she said.
Barbara Bunch got up at 4 a.m. to start her Black Friday. She drove from her home in Newton Grove to shop at the mall.
"I liked when stores opened at 5 a.m.," she said. "I can't get into it on Thanksgiving."