Share Email Print RSS

Surviving Friday

A few years ago, my mother and I thought it would be fun to do a little light shopping. It was Thanksgiving, after all, and we finally wanted to take the plunge and participate in Black Friday.

We'd heard the rumors and stories about the shopping madness in the days immediately after Thanksgiving, so we decided to be smart about it.



We would skip the malls and avoid Midlothian Turnpike and Short Pump entirely. Instead, we'd make a one-stop pilgrimage to Sandston's Airport Drive, to the now closed and greatly missed home décor and craft superstore known as Garden Ridge.



Just one store, catering to a limited clientele, in an area of town devoid of any other retailers … it would be a quick and painless way to satisfy our shopping craving and avoid the headache of the mall crowds, right? But just to be safe, we decided to go on Saturday, two days after Thanksgiving, as opposed to Friday.

The parking lot should have been our first clue. A fleet of minivans and SUVs turned the lot into an exhibition of gas guzzling transportation showpieces. A line of Lincoln Town Cars blocked the main lane as grandmothers eased out of the passenger-side doors and made their way into the store; and floods of shoppers on foot scoured every row in search of vacant shopping carts.

Inside, displays were ravaged; the shoppers were aggressive and fierce; and sale items were secured and guarded like it was a military operation.



At the registers, dozens of cashiers were visibly exhausted; lines were more than 50 feet long and wove through the store, breaking in five places to keep the aisles open. We witnessed a near fist fight when a man mistook one of the breaks for the end of the line and then refused to move. There was shouting, babies crying, endless intercom cries for manager help and lots and lots of pushing.



Then again, we got some of the best bargains of the year. I'm talking 75 percent off, stand in line for hours and fight till you bleed bargains. And that, of course, makes it all worth it.



Black Friday Shopping Tips:

If you're going to shop unprepared then you might as well not shop at all. Black Friday, the infamous start of the holiday shopping season, is touted as one of the busiest and best shopping days of the year. And when prices are super-low there's often limited stock. It's a competitive shopping day, so being prepared could be the difference between getting what you want or simply walking away with the leftovers.

Do your research: Know which sales you want to shop and when they happen. Read the fine print: Is the sale only good for the first hundred shoppers or if you sign up for a credit card? Again, know before you go. Shop early: Many of the sales are early bird specials, if you sleep in, you might miss out. Hydrate: If you're thirsty, you won't be able to focus and might abandon a hard-fought deal too early. Layer up: It might be cold outside, but those stores crank up the heat and shopping can make you work up a sweat. Wear comfortable shoes: It's going to be a long day of walking and standing. Bring a snack: Seriously, it could be a long day. Leave the kids at home: Their attention span can't handle a full day of shopping.