How Did You Find BF 2009 As Compared to Other Years?

[luvsJack]

I go to the BF sales every year except for the years we are in Disney; which is where we were last year. I have NEVER seen the crowds on BF that were there this year.

Luckily I got up and before leaving decided to try and order some items online. Got my "big" items from walmart.com and didn't even try going there.

I headed to Old Navy and got there about 4:30AM. On the way I passed TRU, Best Buy and WalMart--every parking lot was jam packed full. There is normally a huge line at Best Buy and TRU but this was beyond anything I had ever seen here! Every parking lot was completely full (and this are huge lots). In years past there would be maybe 100 cars at TRU, but this year I would be scared to try and say how many were in there. When I got to Old Navy, the lot was full and the line waiting to check out was looped around the store a couple of times! I left. (just ordered dd the same jeans online)

The employees at Kohl's said they had people playing football in the parking lot at 2 AM (they opened at 5 I think). I opened Kohl's year before last and we started lining up 15 minutes before opening.

I was in line when Home Depot opened to get the $49 Christmas tree and almost got trampled from people trying to get the Shop Vacs. And then I thought they were going to fight because several people got 3 or 4 vacs instead of just 1.

It just seemed like people were more desperate than usual to get the big items really cheap. I can't help but wonder if this desperation just goes to prove how much all people need to "get back to basics" and come to the realization that we don't "need" all this stuff.

 

[disneychrista]

The crowds were CRAZY NUTS at both Walmart & Staples. Parking lot at Kohl's was pretty full when I dropped my daughter off to work at 5:30.

I had no plans to really buy anything at Walmart & I walked out of Staples without the one thing (100 pack of CD's) that I intended to buy. Waiting in line for over an hour, just not worth the savings.

I did get my Snowglobe at JCPenny...which was not that busy.

 

[3boymthr]

IMO crowds have been steadily getting worse and worse each year. It used to be that if the store opened at 6 AM you could arrive at the store at 6 AM and still stand a chance of getting the items you wanted. Now quantities have gotten so limited and the deals so exclusive and they stores are opening earlier and earlier and it's crazy busy. I think because the stores are opening so early lots more people are able to go shopping then heading for work because by 11 AM the big box stores were actually thinning out. My mall on the other hand was getting very full of teenagers.

 

[MrsPooh]

I saw a real different mix when I was out today. I usually do either Target or Kohls opening and go on from there - I've done others but not for awhile. We usually get in line about an hour in advance and are always within the first 100 people in line. Last night we drove past TRU, 2 Best Buys and Kohls about 10:30. TRU was more crowded than I have EVER seen it at any point in the past. Both Best Buys had people camping in tents outside.

This morning I planned to get to Walmart at 5:45 so that I might miss the stampede and still get some items. When I arrived the Walmart parking lot was full as well as the Aldi lot adjacent to Walmart and all of the fast food places across the street. The store was packed. I wasn't needing doorbusters so I was able to get nearly everything I wanted (only three items). The Kohls lot down the street was packed too and overflow was filling up several nearby businesses. I went to Target about 6:00 and there were few people there - no line for checkout but they were out of the playdoh I wanted.

Michaels was packed but no line for checkout. We headed to the mall where usually there is no parking spaces at all. Today there were rows of empty parking spaces. Overall the mall was not crowded and the longest line was less than three people.

In the past I've been in lines where the police have had to be called and where they've relocked the doors because the crowd was so out of hand. I skipped that this morning.

It seems like the early crowds were out of control getting the sale items but then they all went home and only a few of us were left.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

Target was very organized and controlled. They finally gave out tickets for their big item. They only opened one door and the employees were inside passing carts to everyone.
First time you also had to pay for the camera, DS and GPS on a seperate line.

Best Buy is still the best as far has controlling the crowds and being organized.
Ninety minutes later they still were only letting certain number of people in at one time.

It was the best BF I've had as far as the stores being organized. Didn't go to Walmart.

 

[MinnieLove]

BF Walmart Ohio (located in upscale suburb of major city) - Arrived at 3:30 am. Customers were lined up 30 deep AT THE REGISTERS! Seriously. All specials in the aisles were opened around midnight. Everyone had shopped all night but could not check out till 5:00. I did get about half of the things I came for, I was fortunate. But there were swarms of people fighting with employees and managers over the early shopping. As always BF is an experience!

 

[Colleen27]

It was just the opposite here... Quite slow, by BF standards. I wasn't anywhere that tends to be super-crazy, just Radio Shack, Sears, Kmart, Lowes, and the craft stores, but it wasn't bad at ALL. At RS at 5:30 this morning, there were more employees than customers, and even the cutting line at Joanns wasn't bad. I go out expecting mile long walks from the car to the store and checkout lines nearly as long, but this year it wasn't much busier than a holiday-season Saturday.

 

[kydisneyfans]

I also thought things were much slower here than other years. Some stores were swamped, but the lasting power didn't last very long. Walmart was empty at 8:00, Kohls had no line at all at 10:00, I parked in the first spot from the front door. It looked like the initial rush was big, then everyone abandoned shopping and went home.

 

[ceecee]

Around here things were nuts! Many more people out than last year, it seems to be getting more and more crowded in the past years. It also used to let up later, but today it was pretty steady once the mobs left early.

 

[NeedaVacation03]

Lines here were way worse than normal. I have never seen lines as long as the ones I saw today. I have done this for many many years, and this one was crazy. I didnt really need a lot- I just enjoy going out.

 

[KKB]

I popped into Super Target at 6AM...parking lot jammed...checkout line ran clear around past kids clothing...all the way through the aisle between housewares...toys 7 electronics packed...I dropped my cart off, drove home, and got nearly everything I wanted online at nearly the prices I was looking for!
Funny...I spent a few dollars more on a few things...but certainly spent less overall...and am nearly done!

 

[IlliniMouse]

I set my alarm to purchase the items I wanted from Wal-Mart online (only to find out the website wasn't updated/working...wasted a half hour there, went back to bed, and got up later to try again.) I was able to get everything I wanted....but I wasn't after the laptops, DS, or other hot ticket items. Those were long gone.

I then went to the stores, but didn't arrive until around 9am. At Target I was able to get Halo ODST which I thought for sure would be long gone. Picked up a few other non-sale video games, some sale movies, and got a $10 gift card from there. On to Kohl's where I was able to get the dishes on sale, and had a 15% off coupon to use. I also recieved a $20 Kohls Cash to use at a later date. They still had some of their digital frames there...and it was 12:30 when I got in the checkout line!

Overall it was a good day. I was able to find what I was looking for. The parking lots were busy, but the stores were pretty organized. The lines didn't take long to get through, and the employess were all very helpful. I am never there when the stores first open, so I can't speak for that time of day...but we were in stores from 9am to 6pm, and other than the parking lots, no complaints from me!

 

[DebMcDonald]

I was in and out of Kohl's with everything I wanted in 27 minutes and that was waiting in the line outside for awhile to get in. Then we were off to Target for only two items, waited in line outside for 30 minutes, but were in and out in 9 minutes. Walmart on the other hand was AWFUL and I won't do it ever again. I wanted the cameras thinking it was a better deal than Kohl's, but it honestly wasn't worth my times and the parking lot was full and difficult to find parking at and the lines were absolutely just awful. After that I was off to the mall and it's honestly wasn't bad. I was disappointed in Old Navy, I didn't feel they had anything different than what they had all along.

 

[luvsJack]

It was just the opposite here... Quite slow, by BF standards. I wasn't anywhere that tends to be super-crazy, just Radio Shack, Sears, Kmart, Lowes, and the craft stores, but it wasn't bad at ALL. At RS at 5:30 this morning, there were more employees than customers, and even the cutting line at Joanns wasn't bad. I go out expecting mile long walks from the car to the store and checkout lines nearly as long, but this year it wasn't much busier than a holiday-season Saturday.

Your mentioning Radio Shack reminded me, I passed there on my way to Old Navy. Now, the RS here is a store that you often have to wonder how on earth it stays open; rarely more than a customer or two in the store at one time and many times there are no customers at all--even during the holiday shopping. At 4:30 this morning, they had a line waiting for them to open! I guess that should have been my first clue that it was a crazy shopping day!

 

[KNEIPPK]

Went to the local Wally- same one went to last year- lots more people- less selection

 

[luvsJack]

I was in and out of Kohl's with everything I wanted in 27 minutes and that was waiting in the line outside for awhile to get in. Then we were off to Target for only two items, waited in line outside for 30 minutes, but were in and out in 9 minutes. Walmart on the other hand was AWFUL and I won't do it ever again. I wanted the cameras thinking it was a better deal than Kohl's, but it honestly wasn't worth my times and the parking lot was full and difficult to find parking at and the lines were absolutely just awful. After that I was off to the mall and it's honestly wasn't bad. I was disappointed in Old Navy, I didn't feel they had anything different than what they had all along.

Kohl's was actually one of the best getting in and out of as far as getting checked out. It was jam packed and you could barely move around to shop, but once you got ready to check out it wasn't bad at all. They were out of a lot of things apparently (I was buying some toys for dgd at 40% and 50% off). I saw people walking around and searching for things all over the store.

 

[verge1116]

My husband and daughter went to Toys R Us at midnight and it was a fiasco. They waited 45 minutes just to get in, then when they got in it was wall to wall chaos, so they gave up and left. We got to Wal Mart around 5:15am, and it was packed also. The lines must have been 25 people deep and it was hard to navigate with a buggy so we ditched it. I did get the printer and Rock Band game I was after, also a ton of AA batteries. We were able to check out in electronics and waited maybe 20 minutes. We then were at Super Target a little before 6am. Parking lot was busy, but we got a few things and walked right up to a check out line, no wait at all. Old Navy was horrible, walked in and walked right back out. I actually went back this afternoon, and it was a horrible mess. Trash all over the outside (coffee cups, donuts, etc) and piles of clothes everywhere inside. I bet they will be there all night cleaning that up.