Cross border shopping, best week-end?

[rewok]

We usually go down to shop once in the fall, mostly clothing and such. Now I'm undecided between booking Thanksgiving week-end or the one before. Hotel prices are the same. No I understand Thanksgiving week-end will be almost crazy, but how crazy? Like Boxing day all week-end? And if we go the week before, can we expect at least "normal" sales, or all store will just hold off for Black Friday?

We are not looking for insane deals, but still would like our regular stores sales. For reference, we like to shop at Kohl's, Macy's, JC Penney, Aéropostale, American Eagle, and Victoria's Secret (well, me, not DH).

 

[hcoker1]

We like to shop on our Thanksgiving Monday if we can get out of a turkey dinner. Most Americans are working so the malls are quiet and the Christmas stuff is just starting to come out.

 

[Sue M]

I like going the weekend of the American Thanksgiving. We've been able to get decent rates on hotels. Love Macy's, they always have great sales.

 

[tgropp]

Black Friday is the time for great deals. It can be intense going shopping at midnight ( some malls) but you get lots of great deals

 

[rewok]

Thanks!

I do expect the deals to be good for Black Friday, but I though it might be too insane for me! Neither of us like to fight our way just to buy stuff. Still thinking about it. We might take the risk, but you won't catch me waiting for store openings at midnight!

 

[chasbos]

We go every year on Black Friday to Birch Run in Michigan. We head out in the afternoon and have supper in sarnia and then check into our hotel around 7 -8 p.m. and go to sleep.

We get up around 1-2 a.m. and hit the stores, most of the mad rush is over by then and some stores still have big lines but we go with 4 of us and take turns standing in line while the others shop.

By 4 a.m. the stores are clearing out and we head to the mall in Port Huron for more shopping.

We started about 4 years ago doing this and I do not know if it is the economy but the amount of shoppers is getting less every year.

There is also a weekend called Deer Widows weekend at Birch Run and there are really goods deals then too.

 

[minniemomof3]

Two years ago I went on Black Friday, we were there for midnight. I don't think I would ever do it again. It was insane. The stores were crowded and the line ups were very long, the line up at Target practically went around the perimeter of the store. Last year we went on Saturday morning, the stores still had a lot of sales and all the Black Friday shoppers had left, it was definitely a better experience.

 

[Sue M]

I don't go for the midnight thing, wouldn't have the stamina, lol! But I manage to get pretty good deals anyway during the day time.

 

[rewok]

We get up around 1-2 a.m. and hit the stores, most of the mad rush is over by then and some stores still have big lines but we go with 4 of us and take turns standing in line while the others shop.

By 4 a.m. the stores are clearing out and we head to the mall in Port Huron for more shopping.

We started about 4 years ago doing this and I do not know if it is the economy but the amount of shoppers is getting less every year.

There is also a weekend called Deer Widows weekend at Birch Run and there are really goods deals then too.

Two years ago I went on Black Friday, we were there for midnight. I don't think I would ever do it again. It was insane. The stores were crowded and the line ups were very long, the line up at Target practically went around the perimeter of the store. Last year we went on Saturday morning, the stores still had a lot of sales and all the Black Friday shoppers had left, it was definitely a better experience.

I don't go for the midnight thing, wouldn't have the stamina, lol! But I manage to get pretty good deals anyway during the day time.

The lines part is totally freaking... chasbos, you have all my admiration to do it every year! But the rest is exactly what I was hoping for. Madness early on Black Friday, but reasonable the rest of the week-end. So if we drive down Friday afternoon, and just go shopping Saturday/Sunday, we'll just get a regular crowd of Christmas time shoppers.