This was the best Black Friday in a long time.

[JoyG]

I'm a BF vet and didn't think I'd like the new 8pm start times, but turns out it was the best thing to happen to me.

It forced me to look online instead of automatically planning a game strategy for camping out. There's no way I'll be giving up family time Thanksgiving day to stand in line.

What I found was several online deals were better than their brick and morter stores, and several doorbusters can be found online long after they're sold out in stores.

Lids.com, Aeropostale, Gamestop all gave me better deals than I could have found in their stores.

Walmart.com let me buy a door buster video game online to be picked up in the store at my leisure. And Kmart.com let me buy a hard to find toy to be picked up locally.

I got a full night's sleep and then hit the brick and morter stores at 5:30 am, long after everyone else had gone home and there were no lines at all!

This was truly one of my most successful years ever. It felt like Black Friday used to before everyone discovered Black Friday. LOL.

 

[LJSquishy]

I felt the same way! I didn't actually purchase anything yesterday, but I did place Amazon and Kohl's orders. It was relaxing, I was able to triple check that I was getting a good deal, and I didn't have to drive or wait in line! I'm so glad I placed the Kohl's order when I did because both items I purchased are now out of stock (Imaginext Pirate Ship $20, and CorningWare 10pc set $20 after rebate...plus got 15% off purchase plus $15 Kohl's Cash plus 6% Ebates).

I went out this morning around 9:30am because I needed to exchange a pair of pants I recently purchased for a smaller size and the roads were surprisingly empty! I'm sure the mall/Target/Kohl's/Best Buy/Walmart were probably packed, but not the store I needed to go. I went to Lowe's also and they weren't that busy. Maybe I went at a good time and the big Black Friday shoppers were probably either done with their purchases already, or they were taking a break to eat breakfast. Either way, I was really happy the roads weren't jam packed with cars. It kind of made me want to stop at a few other stores...but I really don't "need" anything so I went home. lol

 

[msmama]

I agree! 6:30 at my Target was pretty empty. The workers FAR outnumbered the buyers. And I managed to get everything I wanted - they even still had a bunch of Wii-U's to my surprise, AND a cart overflowing with iPads (neither of which I bought).

The mall was more crowded, but I got there in enough time to get my 20% off at the Disney Store which was pretty much the only reason I went (I have bad luck with the online store). The woman at NY&Co said that at one point they had a 3 HOUR line last night!! And those people got the same deals I did!

 

[Kitzka]

I got the iTunes card and video game my daughter wanted from bestbuy online yesterday. Today I went out and got 2 DS games for my niece (toys r us buy 1 for $19 get the 2nd for $1). I had purchased both last week when they were buy 1 get 1 40% off. So I saved $10 there.

I also went to Delia's. the store was 40% off everything. I got 5 shirts and 2 necklaces for my cousin. Normally $115 for only $47.50!

I also got 2 sweatshirts from ps Aeropostale for $10 each (normally $34 each!)

I have everything purchased for my cousins, nieces and need to buy 4 more things for my daughter. 1 thing for my husband and then I should be done!

My fav Black Friday in years!

 

[3boymthr]

I had the same experience. Though for us it would have been waiting in line at 1AM (when the stores around here opened - MA has Blue Laws). I did the 1AM thing last year and it was NUTS! This year I got up around 3:30, took oldest DS with me for his first BF experience. We hit Target at 4AM - they had TONS of everything (including the iTunes cards!) and NO lines, BassPro Shops at 4:50 waited 10 Minutes in a really really long line for the 5AM opener, got 3 pairs of the $10 jeans and 6 of the $10 flannels. They had a bunch of everything. Out of there by 5:30 to head over to ON and Hollister - no lines (no PEOPLE) at either store - the number of clerks outnumbered the customers. Got a $15 hoodie and a $6 T at Hollister but nothing at ON as I was only looking for PJs and they had none in my kids' size. Then on to the Mall for Macy's, Sears and JCP - scored the blanket and sheets I wanted at Macy's plus hit the Jewelers and Gamestop for a little window shopping then home by 7:30 in time for DH to go to work . JCP was Nuts as they had just opened and none of the sales were that spectacular so I bailed after 2 minutes.

The only place I ran into any of what I call BF store stupidity was at Sears. They had 3 Nook Simple Touches still in stock but wouldn't sell them because the tickets had been handed out at 1 AM when the store opened and the people who had the tickets might come back to claim them - really?! After 6 hours on a BF I'm willing to bet those people weren't going to back for them (the people hadn't paid for them just taken a ticket saying they wanted one while waiting in line). I understand why Sears held on to them but I seriously think they need to do like Amazon and put a time limit on the tickets - like if you get the ticket and don't claim the item within 2 or 3 hours it goes back into rotation for someone else to buy.

ETA - can I say I really loved the BassPro line experience - they handed out free donuts and coffee (and possibly Tea) and had professional carolers on hand to entertain people.

 

[MrEVILdrPorkchop2u]

Add us to the list of positive reviews for BF. DW and I do BF every year. Last year when they changed the times, it was horrible. It was so bad that DW and I almost decided not to go out at all. This year we refused to shop anywhere that opened on Thursday because we just felt it was wrong to take away from Thanksgiving. We did however host Thanksgiving dinner and then went to bed about 10. We got up a little before 3 and were out the door around 3:30. By the time we reached the stores, people had cleared out! It was AMAZING!!! We parked about 4 spots from The mall. I was shocked! The only store that was busy was Hollister. For the amount that we saved, waiting 45 minutes in line was well worth it! The other stores, we waited only a couple minutes tops. Best BF EVER!

 

[JoyG]

The woman at NY&Co said that at one point they had a 3 HOUR line last night!! And those people got the same deals I did!

Last year I ended up in a 2 hour line at Old Navy for sale prices I could have gotten later in the day. I stayed up all night long and I was miserable.

This year was so relaxing! I was smiling and cheerful to every bleary eyed retail worker I encountered. BF was fun again.

 

[scootch]

Our walmart opened at 8, Target at 9... mall at 10... we slept 4 hours, got to the mall at 3am and found the first spot parking spot(and this is a suburb of Pittsburgh) Still got the great 50% off Hollister, Abercrombie, 60% Aeropostle, Bath and Body extra tote and Victoria Secrets sale and the longest we waited in line was like 4 people deep. It started getting busy about 6am when JCP opened... but by 7 we were ready to leave the mall. I was definitely able to get my dd much more than last year for the same amount of money.

 

[skeettafic]

I did the same thing - got the things I really wanted from Target and a couple of places online yesterday morning and started out at 4:30 this morning. Headed to Best Buy thinking I may be out of luck for the Kindle HD deal but there were a ton of them. I literally walked in, pulled up the 2 I wanted and was checked out and back in my car in 5 minutes! I went to the mall and hit Bon Ton, Justice, JC Penneys, and NY & Co. By 10:30, it was getting pretty crowded at Macy's so hit Barnes and Noble, which was empty, and home by noon.

 

[sherry7]

I didn't go out at all on Black Friday, but I did go to Walmart on Thanksgiving night to buy a trampoline and a Nabi tablet. I bought several video games online for the same price as the brick & mortar stores.

I feel bad for the retail employees that had to work on Thanksgiving, but it was nice to sleep in this morning.

 

[si-am]

I also felt like this was a much more relaxed BF. We went to Target when it opened at 9 (didn't stand in line, just walked in behind the large crowd). Got everything we wanted and were in bed by 10:30.

Then we went it at 6am this morning and the stores were pretty much empty! Still deals to be had, too. Loved it!

 

[MUFFYCAT]

I went to Walmart at 8 for some items. People were going crazy over pajama that weren't much cheaper then normal! Got out fast and went to Target. It was crowded but not very bad.The store does a great job every year!
Still in shopping mode so went on the Kohls line at 11:30. The lines got so long there was barely enough room for everyone!


I went to Best Buy about 9 this morning with no lines at all.
Between buying online and planning the stores the right way, the day was successful!


I'm still undecided if If liked starting to shop the night before or going out very early in the morning.