It was the same scene at other area retailers this morning because it’s not just any Friday, it’s Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year.
Conrad Wilson of West Chester Twp. nabbed one of the Westinghouse high-definition TVs for $298. He had waited in line since 10 p.m. Thursday with family and friends.
Before Target opened, many shoppers embraced the earlier than ever hours posted by other local retailers for Black Friday, filling the parking lots at Cincinnati Premium Outlets and lining up outside Kohl’s.
More than 50 stores opened at the Monroe outlet center 10 p.m. Thursday, which led many area residents to kick off holiday shopping all-nighters there. The outlet had even larger crowds this year, its second year in operation for the day after Thanksgiving sales.
Shortly before 1 a.m. at Cincinnati Premium Outlets, all 2,500 parking spots were full, said Robert Tackett, general manager of the outlet center. Security directed traffic to an overflow lot where there were shuttles, Tackett said.
“Even with the bad weather, it’s a much larger crowd,” he said.
At Deerfield Towne Center, the mother-daughter team of Batavia resident Margaret Carlton, 68, and Mason resident Maggie Buckley, 38, pored over a copious and well-organized wish list from family members complete with price-comparison spreadsheets, coupons, opening times and photos of merchandise.
Despite that and a grueling 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. schedule that included Target, Kohl’s, JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store, Bob Evans and Bed, Bath and Beyond, the two long-time Black Friday shoppers said the day was about more than finding bargains.
“We just go out for the fun,” Carlton said. “This is a tradition. It’s bonding. We shop and go out to eat.”
“And make fun of people that are knocking each other over for that special toy,” added Buckley.
The two became dedicated Black Friday shoppers many years ago after spotting a rabid shopper hunting for a Barbie doll at a Tri-County Mall toy store’s 8 a.m. opening who was told there were none to be had.
“She started stomping down the mall shrieking ‘No Holiday Barbie!’ and that’s when we decided we have got to do this every year because theses people are the funniest people I’ve ever seen,” Buckley said.
“They’re nut cases,” Carlton said. “It’s so much fun.”
Temperatures were in the upper 30s at about 10 a.m. today. The National Weather Service in Wilmington is calling for a high of almost 40 degrees and mostly sunny skies.
But, shoppers weren’t stopped by the cold, often saying this is the earliest time they trekked to stores yet.
Cathy Sproule and her daughter Jessica Ryan of Springboro have a Black Friday shopping tradition, but usually hit the stores at 3 or 4 a.m. Sproule and Ryan arrived at the outlets 11:30 p.m. Thursday for the Midnight Madness sale; and it doesn’t stop there — Walmart, Kohl’s and the Dayton Mall are also on their list.
“We do it every year,” Ryan said.
Another mother and daughter team, Pam Campbell and Stephanie Matthews of Fairfield, waited to get inside Coach Factory after 1 a.m. Before that, they waited an hour to make their purchases at The North Face, Matthews said.
“This is the second time we’ve done it, so it’s become a tradition,” Campbell said.
Josh McCrossin of Carlisle was waiting with his friend Alex Thompson of Columbus in the open shopping center early Friday. They too planned to make Cincinnati Premium just their first stop, going to Kohl’s, Target and Walmart next.
McCrossin said the reason they do it is “the experience, the fun, the tradition.”
Meanwhile, in Middletown two lines in opposite directions were at least 50 people deep each at Target and Kohl’s at 2 a.m. The first person in line at Kohl’s was Samantha Meadows of Middletown. She braced the cold in shifts with her husband since about 1 a.m., two hours before the store opened at 3 a.m.
What she wanted to buy was a 2-carat diamond bracelet, on sale for $100.
“We did it last year and decided to do it again this year,” said Meadows about lining up early.
All was relatively quiet, however, at the Meijer store on Hamilton’s West Side. Parking was readily available and enough cashiers to keep check-out lines at a minimum.
Becky Neal of Hamilton exited with a cart full of pillows and candles, but confessed that she and her friend Amy Fehrenbach purposefully got a late start this Black Friday.
“We usually start at 3:30,” Neal said, “but we didn’t get here until about 6.”
“We didn’t see anything as many ads in the paper for things we wanted,” Fehrenbach said. “We didn’t want to fight.”
Bryan and Tina Cornette of Trenton also said they weren’t up for a fight when they started shopping at Bridgewater Falls at 4:30 a.m. in Fairfield Twp.
“We went in Target and walked right back out,” Bryan Cornette said. “There wasn’t anything in particular we wanted, and the lines weren’t worth getting normal stuff.”
They found the crowds and check-times more amenable at Best Buy, where they left with a stash of movies for Christmas gifts.
By 8 a.m. at the Cincinnati Premium Outlets, crowds had cooled down from stampede status, but many still braved the near-freezing temperatures to check out the sales.
Sue Cumbers of Cincinnati was wrapping up an all-night adventure with two exchange students from South America who had taken a whirlwind tour of Black Friday, starting at midnight in downtown Cincinnati and working their way out of the city as the morning progressed.
“They had heard about the shopping extravaganza and wanted to experience it for themselves,” Cumbers said. “They’d never seen anything quite like Black Friday in Venezuela.”
Cumbers rested for a bit in the food court, surrounded by bags, though she was quick to point out they weren’t all hers. Cumbers had not hit the stores looking for the super deals, but still had managed to accomplish a lot of her holiday shopping.
“I wasn’t looking for doorbuster bargains like the big-name electronic stuff, but I still found a lot of good deals,” Cumbers said. “No big items, but as I’d look I’d see something and just say ‘Oh, this would be perfect for so-and-so.’”
Cumbers said the group had been slowed a bit at Toys R Us, their first stop, because of lines just to get in the store, but they had stuck to an informal plan she had mapped out in her head.
Mary Ann Mattscheck, assistant general manager of the Cincinnati Premium Outlets, said it was too soon to tell whether sales were up this year.
“We’ve seen a lot of shopping bags, so that’s always very encouraging,” Mattscheck said. “There’s a certain magic to Black Friday. For a lot of shoppers, it’s a tradition.”
The Hendrix Family — Jean and Webster and their daughter Erin — ventured into the black Friday crowds for the first time in five years, Friday.
“It’s the first time we haven’t had to work,” Webster explained.
The family eschewed the pre-dawn rush, arriving at the outlet mall at a more reasonable 8 a.m. to look for clothes and other Christmas presents.
“We had fun watching the people on TV rushing into the stores,” Jean Hendrix said with a laugh. “I like to shop, but that rush is too much for me. Doorbusters aren’t for us.”
Hannah Reed of Lebanon brought friend Alex Schaffers some coffee after the latter had been working at an outlet store since 2:30 a.m. While delivering the coffee, Reed had time to find a deal on a gift for her mother.
“I think I got a good deal,” said Reed, who noted her shopping was done for the day because she was out of money.
Scott Eatmon, store manager of the Middletown Target said he believed crowds were more robust this morning. His staff had trouble finding parking spots as they arrived to prepare for the store’s 4 a.m. opening.
“I think people were really reserved over the past few years,” Eatmon said.
“I think there was some pent-up demand.”
Susan Griffith, 51, of Nashville, Tenn., was in town to visit family in Carlisle for Thanksgiving.
She and her relatives began shopping at 4 a.m. The first stop was a Target near the Dayton Mall, where there was a line wrapped around the building. They passed, and made their way to the Middletown Target, where they were purchasing DVDs and video games.
“The trunk is full,” Griffith said. “I’ll probably get most of my shopping done today.”
Compared to Nashville, Black Friday here seems tame, Griffith said.
“I think it’s crazier there,” she said. “A lot of smaller communities go to Nashville to shop anyway so Black Friday can get bad.”
By 9:30 a.m. Hamilton’s Meijer store looked like it might on any given Friday. There were no lines and only a number of carts were overflowing.
Sonya Crawford of New Miami had her first Black Friday experience this year. She awoke around 8 a.m. and started out at Walmart on Main Street. She had her heart set on a 19-inch TV deal but the few in stock were gone when she arrived.
“The worker said there were only five in stock, and there’s no way I’m fighting the crowd,” Crawford said. “I stayed in bed long enough so I missed the craziness.”
At Meijer, Crawford said she found everything she wanted, including a cart full of $8 footballs and basketballs.
For Yvonne Marcum of Hanover Twp. this was one of her first Black Friday experiences. Meijer was her first stop and then she was heading to Staples.
“My husband usually does it but I was off today, too,” Marcum said.
The Marcums found a PlayStation 3 with Blu-ray for their son, but were able to snag a TV and TomTom GPS for themselves.
“Meijer appeared to have the best deal,” Marcum said. “But it’s overrated for what I’m seeing today but we’re late starting.”
Ikea in West Chester Twp. also had crowds of a typical Friday. The home furnishing store opened at 10 a.m., it’s regular opening hour. While no special deals are being offered for Black Friday, a free breakfast was offered at 9:30 a.m. before the main store opened.
Mother and daughter Pam and Carrie Updyke, of Miamisburg took advantage of the free breakfast before shopping and getting ideas for a new apartment Carrie recently moved into in Morehead, Ky., she said.
Ikea spokesman Kitalena Mason said despite not offering special deals today, large crowds were still expected.
“Shopping is at the top of everyone’s mind,” she said. “It should be a great day. We’re just hoping the free meal will bring them in.”
At the Voice of America Target in West Chester Twp., shoppers were still taking advantage of Black Friday deals by mid-morning.
Kirsten Albert of Liberty Twp. bought a Wii video game for $34.99, which normally sells for around $50, she said. Needed repairs at a rental property have Albert looking for deals this holiday season, but not to the extreme of other holiday shoppers.
“The cashier told me it was crazy at 3:45 a.m., but I don’t see the point in that,” she said.
Stacey Udsten of Mason was finishing up a morning of taking advantage of Black Friday deals. She was in line at Best Buy at 4:30 a.m., where she bought a digital camera at half price. At Target, she purchased DVD players and other electronics.
“I’m trying to stretch the dollar a little,” she said. “We’re all trying to.”
Many shoppers cited family tradition trumped bargain hunting as their reason for venturing out into the late fall chill so very early in the day, including Joan Hohenberger of Loveland and her daughter Katie, visiting from Chicago for the holiday.
The two started saving coupons a month ago and organized their coupons Thanksgiving night to plan out their route.
“We’re experts,” Hohenberger said as she perused the 40 percent off everything deals at Loft in Deerfield Towne Center. “We’ve been shopping together 13 years, maybe.
“We like to get our shopping done but we also like to go out and mingle with the people.”
Loveland native Julie Robinson browsed the racks at Loft with her mother Toni around 8 a.m. after two hours of bargain hunting at Old Navy, Yankee Candle and JoAnn Fabric.
Robinson said Black Friday shopping was a family tradition.
“I’m from out of town so it’s a great way for us to be able to go out together and start Christmas shopping ... and it’s the perfect way to work off the holiday pounds,” she said.
Their big deal of the day? Coupons at JoAnn Fabric, Robinson said.
“They had a 50 percent coupon off one item and then another 20 percent off your entire purchase,” she said.
Deerfield Towne Center pet boutique Dognabit lured customers in with a “buy three, get one free” deal, as well as coupons of up to 50 percent off, according to co-owner Nathan Dillon.
The store opened at 5 a.m. to capitalize on the early morning shoppers from larger stores like Dick’s Sporting Goods, he said.
“One of them already knew we were open because they’re fans of ours on Facebook, the other ones were just waiting around for other stores and saw our lights on, ” Dillon said.
Mason resident Mary Knabe’s 4:30 to 9 a.m. schedule included a stop at Target, then Deerfield Towne Center stores Dick’s Sporting Goods, Bed Bath & Beyond, Old Navy, Starbuck’s, Borders, JoAnn Fabric, PetSmart and Charming Charlie.
Joined by daughters Emily, 14, and Andrea, 19, as well as sister-in-law Susan Knabe of Cincinnati, the four scoured advertisements both online and in newspapers on Thanksgiving Day, then determined their plan of action.
“This is tradition for us,” Susan Knabe said, estimating the family had been Black Friday shoppers for about seven years. “It’s just the thrill of getting a deal and shopping together as a family, which we don’t normally do.
Andrea Knabe said the deal the best deal of the day was spending $7.50 for winter vests at Target.
“We were thrilled with all people mad rushing for (bargains),” she said. “It was just exciting.”
Mary Knabe said the family penciled in a stop at Charming Charlie despite the absence of Black Friday-specific deals because the women’s accessories store is “a good, thrifty place in this economy.” “I knew there would be unique and different things of interest to all of us and the prices would be very reasonable,” she said. “I wouldn’t have to be standing in line and looking for coupons to get a deal.”
Thinking she could take advantage of a lunchtime lull, Becky Long, originally of Middletown but now living in Pittsburgh, hit the Middletown Kohl’s in earnest with her mother and sister.
“We thought people would be taking naps,” Long said. “But we still stood in line for half an hour.”
Her sister, Rachel Moyer of Middletown, said she had probably spent around $400 by 1 p.m. Friday. She said the group uses teamwork and strategies throughout Black Friday.
“I told my husband to go for the hard drives and I went for the electric toothbrushes,” Moyer said of shopping at the Bridgewater Target earlier in the day.
Moyer then reiterated what so many have said throughout Black Friday.
“You get good deals, but I think it’s the adventure,” she said.
Inside the Kohl’s, store manager Clint Sparks said electronic picture frames were a particular item of interest and the company’s offer of $15 Kohl’s Cash after a customer purchases an order of $50 or more seemed to work.
“Overall we’ve gotten a very good response,” Sparks said. “Better than last year.”
The Kohl’s Cash coupon can be used at any Kohl’s location next week.
Not everyone had a detailed way to make the most of Black Friday. Dave Stoll from Morrow purchased a shotgun from Dick’s Sporting Goods around 9:30 a.m. but said he had no set agenda for the remainder of the day.
“A few more places,” he said. “I’m not real sure just yet.”
Bridgewater Falls Shopping Center was bustling all day with shoppers, some just braving the crowds for fun.
Sisters Lisa Engelhardt and Ann Kaminsky, both of Fairfield Twp., go Black Friday shopping every year and began around 7:45 a.m. this year.
“We went to Target, Old Navy, TJ Maxx and now Bed Bath & Beyond,” Engelhardt said. “There’s nothing specific we’re looking for this year that’s why we didn’t start out at the crack of dawn.”
Staff
Writers Kelsey Cano, Richard O Jones, Chelsey Levingston,
Justin McClelland
, Hannah Poturalski
,
Eric Schwartzberg
and Andy Sedlak
contributed to this story.