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Crowds And Deals - Some Can't Get Enough

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 24, 2007

Holiday Guide | Black Friday Madness

By 4:30 a.m. Friday, the line of shoppers outside the Best Buy on North Dale Mabry Highway numbered at least 300, as it weaved from the front door around the building to the trash bin in back.

Some latecomers took one look at the line and headed back to their cars.

"This is insane. What did I expect, that I'd get here at 4:30 a.m. and walk right in?" said Ryan Fechner, who was visiting from Orlando. His boss at an Orlando marina services company had hoped he could pop into Best Buy for a Toshiba laptop, marked down to $229.

"I'm a dedicated employee, but not that dedicated," he said, as he headed back to his car.

The line started forming as early as 10 p.m. Wednesday, even though the store didn't open until 5 a.m. Friday. Even showing up Thursday only guaranteed shoppers a spot along the side of the building.

At 3 a.m., store employees handed out about 100 tickets for each "Doorbuster" item, which guaranteed shoppers certain hot electronics items sometimes marked down by hundreds of dollars.

Michael Sasso

If the economy is heading toward recession as some economists fear, it didn't look like it Friday morning.

Eager shoppers camped out overnight for one - even two - nights at Best Buy stores in Hillsborough and Pasco counties. They waited in hopes of landing laptop computers for $229 or big-screen TVs for $300 below the normal prices. In Brandon, the roads outside Westfield Brandon mall became so congested that sheriff's deputies had to reroute traffic.

Scenes of frantic shopping were everywhere Friday, traditionally one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

A Hallmark store at the Westfield Citrus Park mall opened a half-hour early to accommodate shoppers, many of whom were mothers seeking Webkinz toys for their children.

Retailers feared shoppers would stay home Friday or delay their shopping, as high gas prices and the housing slide took their toll. The National Retail Federation is predicting 4 percent growth in holiday sales, which is slower growth than in previous years.

It may be weeks before retailers release figures for Friday's sales, but it appeared people weren't holding back on their buying. Some shoppers braved the crowds thinking they would save money in the long run by taking advantage of the bargains.

"That's the economy why we're here in the middle of the night," said Vicki Huffman, a Melbourne resident visiting a Tampa Best Buy store.

'Mr. Crabby Pants'

A reluctant Marty McIntosh waited at the checkout inside Dick's Sporting Goods. It was just after 5 a.m. and McIntosh was paying for a treadmill, a basketball hoop and an abdominal workout machine.

Why was he out at 5 a.m.?

"My wife brought me," the 40-year-old Valrico resident sighed. "She's still in the back, buying more stuff."

His 38-year-old wife, Vicki, walked up.

"Usually," she said, "my mom comes with me. Today, I've got Mr. Crabby Pants."

Marty McIntosh was resigned to his situation.

"I guess," he surrendered. "We are trying to get the best deals we can."

Keith Morelli

Leave The Men At Home

Elaine Harvill loves the day after Thanksgiving, but it's as much about family as it is the sales.

It's family tradition for the women to head out shopping early on the day after Thanksgiving. "There's no way the men would come with us," Harvill said.

So, Harvill, along with her daughter, daughter in-law and granddaughter headed out at 5:30 a.m.

They hit Target before going to WestShore Plaza to shop at Sears, Macy's, American Eagle and Old Navy.

Harvill shopped, then sat in a big chair in the mall and guarded her family's bags.

"I buy for everyone, but I pick up something for myself, too," she said. "I buy stuff for myself and give it to my husband to wrap. That way I know I'll like it."

Shannon Behnken

Stick To The Game Plan

Pushing a shopping cart full of toys, Hector Morales didn't have much time to talk as he left the Wal-Mart Supercenter on East Brandon Boulevard.

It was 5:20 a.m., and Hector and his wife, Abby, were just getting started. The Riverview couple have five daughters ranging in age from 2 to 13, so they were searching for bargains.

"Hurry up," Abby told her husband. "We got to get to Toys R Us."

Hector said they saved about $50 before loading up their boxes and driving to the next store.

Shortly afterward, Missy Novak and her daughter, Kristen Bateman, walked out of Wal-Mart with a pair of Video Rockers, or game chairs, which normally cost about $100 each. The Valrico residents bought them for $30 apiece.

Every year on Thanksgiving, they get together with friends and family and plan their shopping spree, combing newspaper ads for the best deals.

"It's a Thanksgiving tradition," Novak said. "We're very organized."

Russell Ray

Won't Be Denied

Sure, anyone can camp out overnight for deals. But how many would camp out for two nights?

Tina Jones of Tampa, son Shawn and daughter-in-law Melissa were officially the first people in line at Best Buy on North Dale Mabry in Tampa. They pulled up some chairs and blankets outside the store at 10 p.m. Wednesday, hoping to score great deals when the store opened at 5 a.m. Friday.

They were hoping to buy a Toshiba laptop, which had been marked down to $229 from about $700, as well as a global positioning system device, digital camera and MP3 player.

Michael Sasso

Following Instructions

Three of the four comfy lounge chairs outside JCPenney in Westfield Brandon mall were occupied. It was obvious. The men were taking five while their shopping partners sought out deals inside the anchor store, which opened at 4 a.m.

Barry Hartley, 67, of Venice was nodding off. The England native came to when asked about the day. He said he and his wife had been shopping since midnight. They went to the outlet malls at Ellenton first before heading to Brandon. They grabbed a Waffle House breakfast in between.

His wife was inside Penney's buying up Christmas presents the couple will bring back to England in the coming weeks.

The pound is strong compared with the dollar, he grinned, so Hartley is assured of a good deal.

"We've been up all night," he said.

Across from him is Gary Barton, 73, who came from Venice with Hartley.

"We don't know why we are here," he said. "We have instructions to be here."

Keith Morelli

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