Local shoppers flock to stores for Black Friday deals

Credit: Photo by Regan Hill

Thousands of shoppers turn out at 4 a.m. to catch early morning deals at Target in Mooresville on Friday.

By: Bethany Fuller | Statesville Record & Landmark
Published: November 27, 2010

Hundreds — maybe thousands — of Iredell County residents hit the stores in the wee hours Friday morning to tackle their Christmas lists at the annual after-Thanksgiving Day sales.
Some local retail store managers said they were funneling bigger crowds through the stores this year than in the past. Some stores opened earlier as well this Black Friday, and shoppers who braved the windy morning were adamant about saving money.
National Retail Federation spokeswoman Kathy Grannis said some retailers released their holiday promotions earlier this year and came up with different ways to get consumers excited about the shopping season. It was expected to be a major boon to retail stores’ bottom lines. Black Friday was named as such because it is traditionally when stores go in "the black" financially.
Headquartered in Mooresville, Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse leaked the majority of its Black Friday advertisements early and promoted them with a "Sneak Peak" on the company's Facebook page, which included a contest offering 90 percent off selected items earlier this month.
"I think social media and online has heightened the awareness of Black Friday," said Lowe's spokeswoman Colleen Carbott. "People are looking to save money wherever they can this holiday season."
For many, such as Anita Mayberry of Taylorsville and Janice Looney of Statesville, going out during the early shopping hours has become a bit of a tradition.
Local residents had already set up tents in front of Best Buy on River Highway by the time Statesville resident Heisol Ortiz sat down.
Ortiz started waiting with her friends around 8 p.m. Thursday with hopes of buying a laptop. She said three years of Black Friday shopping at Best Buy has fine-tuned her routine.
Behind her in the line, Mooresville resident Mike Hoke was warming his hands over a heater he brought with him. He said he drove by earlier in the night, saw the line forming and decided to wait for the associates to give out tickets at 3 a.m..
“I’m not leaving without a computer tonight,” he said.
People packed into the Walmart Supercenters in Statesville and Mooresville for the midnight sale, and some were already waiting for the 5 a.m. electronic sale.
Associates stood guard around the large boxes to prevent customers from diving in too soon.
When the hour finally arrived, people grabbed as many items as they could. Within 30 minutes, some people had their carts filled to the brim.
Mooresville resident Tanya Wunderlich said she came in looking for pajamas and milk. She came out with a video game.
“People are crazy,” she said of the crowd.
Like Wunderlich, it was Beverly Johnson’s first time shopping on Black Friday.
“I thought the deals were pretty good,” she said.
Statesville resident Annette Hawks and her family and friends spent several days plotting their course around Mooresville to get the best gifts.
“My husband is a Marine, so he’s tactile about it,” said Candace Large.
The group split up to get their share of televisions and other popular items at each store. Sometimes, while the women were at one store, their husbands would be at another holding a place for them in line.
The group said the deals offered are worth a few hours without sleep.

Local shoppers flock to stores for Black Friday deals

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