Any braves ones shopping the day after Turkey Day? I think I'll pass.

Nope - I did all my Christmas shopping over this past weekend!! :dance: party: :bouncers :jig: This will also be the first time in nearly a decade I won't be working in sales...things should actually start to slow down for me since I am now in administrative work!! YAY!!

Nope - I did all my Christmas shopping over this past weekend!! :dance: party: :bouncers :jig: This will also be the first time in nearly a decade I won't be working in sales...things should actually start to slow down for me since I am now in administrative work!! YAY!!
Good for you Monika! I'm all gift certificates and money at this stage of my life, lol.

present: :candle: :cc: :santa2: :stocking: :rednose: :snowman3:

I've done my Christmas shopping online this year but I'm still going to brave it! There's a pair of high heels that I've been wanting and they'll be on sale so... I'm going in!

Good for you Monika! I'm all gift certificates and money at this stage of my life, lol.

present: :candle: :cc: :santa2: :stocking: :rednose: :snowman3:
That's mostly what I got - gift cards. :lol:

I've done my Christmas shopping online this year but I'm still going to brave it! There's a pair of high heels that I've been wanting and they'll be on sale so... I'm going in!
You're a WILD WOMAN! :lol:

I've done my Christmas shopping online this year but I'm still going to brave it! There's a pair of high heels that I've been wanting and they'll be on sale so... I'm going in!
You're a brave one - I wouldn't do it! :rofl:

What is black friday?? :confused:

lol, I worked retail for a few years and I literally witnessed perfectly sane and nice housewives getting into catfights over the last item on a shelf on Black Friday morning, no way in hell will I shop during then. However, I admit that I have shopped on Black Friday evening before and a lot of the stuff is still out there, but the crowds have died down a bit. I might go out to shop a bit in the evening but no way in hell before 11 am or noon

What is black friday?? :confused:
The biggest shopping day of the year in the USA - the day after Thanksgiving. It's called "black" because companies make back the money they lost throughout the year.

The biggest shopping day of the year in the USA - the day after Thanksgiving. It's called "black" because companies make back the money they lost throughout the year.
ohhh, I thought it was called Black because every single year there's always one little old lady who gets trampled at a Target :lol:

ohhh, I thought it was called Black because every single year there's always one little old lady who gets trampled at a Target :lol:
They are the...Target LOL ;)

ohhh, I thought it was called Black because every single year there's always one little old lady who gets trampled at a Target :lol:
Yeah, that, too. :eek: :lol:

You're a WILD WOMAN! :lol:
Hey, it's all for the love of heels :rofl:

ohhh, I thought it was called Black because every single year there's always one little old lady who gets trampled at a Target :lol:
I thought it as called Black Friday because of all the black eyes the shoppers get, in the mad dash to get that perfect sale item. :lol:

You're a brave one - I wouldn't do it! :rofl:
My plan is to *hopefully* be in and out before anything gets broken, stomped on, shoved, or sworn at... :lol:

Hey, it's all for the love of heels :rofl:
I forgot, silly me. :lol: You go for it, wild woman.

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:mRaoHzHruDW51M:http://flordelaqua.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/chocolate-high-heels.png (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://flordelaqua.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/chocolate-high-heels.png&imgrefurl=http://flordelaqua.wordpress.com/&h=287&w=358&sz=194&hl=en&start=31&tbnid=mRaoHzHruDW51M:&tbnh=97&tbnw=121&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhigh%2Bheels%26start%3D20%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26ie%3DUTF-8)

I forgot, silly me. :lol: You go for it, wild woman.

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:mRaoHzHruDW51M:http://flordelaqua.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/chocolate-high-heels.png (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://flordelaqua.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/chocolate-high-heels.png&imgrefurl=http://flordelaqua.wordpress.com/&h=287&w=358&sz=194&hl=en&start=31&tbnid=mRaoHzHruDW51M:&tbnh=97&tbnw=121&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhigh%2Bheels%26start%3D20%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26ie%3DUTF-8)
lol ;)

The biggest shopping day of the year in the USA - the day after Thanksgiving. It's called "black" because companies make back the money they lost throughout the year.
It should be called black because it's scary!!


And no, I never have done Black Friday. That would require me to a) enjoy crazed crowds of pushy people, and b) like getting up at ungodly times of the morning.

It should be called black because it's scary!!


And no, I never have done Black Friday. That would require me to a) enjoy crazed crowds of pushy people, and b) like getting up at ungodly times of the morning.
I know...I feel the same way. It's bad enough grocery shopping on a weekend!! :eek:

Any braves ones shopping the day after Turkey Day? I think I'll pass.


If I do I'm doing it early 6am or 7 -right when they open--just to see what's there-maybe they'll be a good DVD sale. So...off to Target on Fri.

P.S. I think your idea of gift certificates is a good one--I'll probably give a few Trader Joe gift certificates out.

The biggest shopping day of the year in the USA - the day after Thanksgiving. It's called "black" because companies make back the money they lost throughout the year.

Thanks, i was lost then :lol:

I'll probably give a few Trader Joe gift certificates out.
Trader Joe's, cool stores. :) My brother manages one in California. He's been with the company for years. He started out here in Boston, but asked and got a transfer last year. They are a fantastic company to work for, with incredible benefits. They work hard though. Nobody's giving them anything.

What kind of store is Trader Joe's? I've heard about them a million times but we don't have one around here...:confused:

If I do I'm doing it early 6am or 7 -right when they open--just to see what's there-maybe they'll be a good DVD sale. So...off to Target on Fri.

P.S. I think your idea of gift certificates is a good one--I'll probably give a few Trader Joe gift certificates out.
There's going to be a MAJOR DVD sale. My goal is heading out to Circuit City (and maybe Best Buy) by 8am! Good god, what am I getting myself into? :confused:

What kind of store is Trader Joe's? I've heard about them a million times but we don't have one around here...:confused:
It's a supermarket chain. The stores tend to have a bunch of stuff normal grocery stores might not carry. The closest thing to compare it to might actually be a Whole Foods.

You don't have one near you because Trader Joe's in only in certain cities.

No, but I work at Target now and I have to work Wednesday night - Thursday morning to get the damn store ready for Black Friday. I may or may not end up working a 12-hour shift (I normally work 10pm - 6am), from 10pm - 10am. AND I have to work the night of Black Friday, too, so I'll be cleaning up the messes people leave behind. Joy. :rolleyes:

My wife is, she is going to get up at 1 am to start shopping. I think that is utterly insane. lol

I sure as hell wouldn't shop on Friday, but I have to work. I work at Walmart and I've been given the lovely 5am-2pm shift. :rolleyes:

Allison and Lauren - I'm so sorry! Black Friday was one of the days I hated most when I was a cashier.

Im passing to early for me:eek:

Allison and Lauren - I'm so sorry! Black Friday was one of the days I hated most when I was a cashier.
I know I'm going to hate it, too. :lol: This is my first Thanksgiving in retail. Ugh. I'm 'overnight logistics,' which means I'm one of the monkeys that helps stock the shelves. So thank god I'm not a cashier. Whew!

I plan to skip it too. The crowds, the traffic, the waiting in line to check out, man I get a headache just thinking about it. lol!

I plan to skip it too. The crowds, the traffic, the waiting in line to check out, man I get a headache just thinking about it. lol!
Me too!! Who needs the hassle?

I'm doing all my shopping online like I do every year.

I'm doing all my shopping online like I do every year.
Good plan. :lol:

Yay! The heels I wanted are on sale (even bigger discount then at the stores!!) online! Can now count me as one of the people NOT shopping that day! :lol:

Yay! The heels I wanted are on sale (even bigger discount then at the stores!!) online! Can now count me as one of the people NOT shopping that day! :lol:
YAY!! :D

I went to Meijer one year for Black Friday and saw two women get into a fist fight for the last $19.99 DVD player. :lol: The police had to come there and keep the peace.

That being said, I'll be out there again this year trying to get cheap DVDs and video games for Christmas presents.

I went to Meijer one year for Black Friday and saw two women get into a fist fight for the last $19.99 DVD player. :lol: The police had to come there and keep the peace.

That being said, I'll be out there again this year trying to get cheap DVDs and video games for Christmas presents.


Good Luck! lol!

I went to Meijer one year for Black Friday and saw two women get into a fist fight for the last $19.99 DVD player. :lol: The police had to come there and keep the peace.

That being said, I'll be out there again this year trying to get cheap DVDs and video games for Christmas presents.
You deserve a medal. ;)

You deserve a medal. ;)
You sure do!! :eek: I don't think I could do it.

I've done my Christmas shopping online this year but I'm still going to brave it! There's a pair of high heels that I've been wanting and they'll be on sale so... I'm going in!
Like a soldier heading into combat...:rofl:

I'll be praying for ya!!!!!:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: GOOD LUCK!!!!


No Black Friday for me. Or as my daughter likes to call it: RUNNING OF THE BULLS. :lol: I will do some store shopping, some online shopping and get gift cards. ;)

^ And they're off!!! :seeya:

Like a soldier heading into combat...:rofl:

I'll be praying for ya!!!!!:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: GOOD LUCK!!!!

It's good I found the shoes I wanted online and for $15 cheaper then the ones at the store... so I will be safe... I was ready though! :rofl:

No Black Friday for me. Or as my daughter likes to call it: RUNNING OF THE BULLS. :lol:

LMAO, that is a MUCH better name for it!

LMAO, that is a MUCH better name for it!
Yeah, my daughter worked at Target during Black Friday abt five years ago and she said when the customers RAN THROUGH THE DOORS, that is what it reminded her of, the good ol' running of the bulls. :rofl:

Or as my daughter likes to call it: RUNNING OF THE BULLS. :lol:
:lol:

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/bulls.jpg

:lol:

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/bulls.jpg
Look at those Christmas shoppers go!!!!!!!!!!!

:brent Thanx Janice for that pic!

:rofl: Great picture Janice!

:rofl: Great picture Janice!
If you look real closely, you can see you and Dr. John Becker in the pic. :lol:

The people in red and white must be TARGET store employees. :lol:

If you look real closely, you can see you and Dr. John Becker in the pic. :lol:
Yep your right-I'm the one in the cowboy hat about to push that poor guy right in front of the bulls :p :lol:

Yep your right-I'm the one in the cowboy hat about to push that poor guy right in front of the bulls :p :lol:
:brent

I'm going shopping this Black Friday, my mom and I go every year. This year I'm going to Bestbuy because they are suppose to have some Laptops on sell for $229.

I'm going shopping this Black Friday, my mom and I go every year. This year I'm going to Bestbuy because they are suppose to have some Laptops on sell for $229.
Are they DELL? :eek:

Are they DELL? :eek:


No, I already have 3 Dells. They're Toshiba or Sony, not sure

I love Best Buy. I am sure the running of the bulls will be in full force at that store! :eek:

If you look real closely, you can see you and Dr. John Becker in the pic. :lol:


I'm wearing red. ;)

[QUOTE=catlover79]Nope - I did all my Christmas shopping over this past weekend!! :dance: party: :bouncers :jig: QUOTE]
I hate you! :joke: My mom and I usually go out on Friday. The only store we go to is open 24 hours so there is no mad rush at the front door. No getting trampled by rednecks. Actually you have to show up super early, last year they went through 2 pallets of TVs before 5:00 A.M. This year I don't really see anything that we need so we might skip it.

I don't go shopping on that day but sometimes I drive over to the mall just to watch the traffic.

I will not even be REMOTELY close to a store Friday. I plan to sleep til almost Noon while people are killing each other and then watch DVD's the rest of the day.

Never have done Black Friday, never will. :eek: A. I hate shopping to begin with and B. I hate crowds

Hell no. I'm gonna be broke. :lol: I'll be blowing off my money on merchandise at the So You Think You Can Dance show!! :woohoo: :p

I'm going to go shopping tomorrow morning just to experience the wrath of Black Friday. :lol:

I have gone shopping on Black Friday back in 2002 and 2003, and I am going this year again. A friend invited me, so I am going with her. :D

Unlike most people in our society, I don't get caught up on Christmas shopping, so it's never a Christmas-related event. I just look to see what I need. I think it's an interesting atmosphere and to spend some unusual time with family and friends.

I will not even be REMOTELY close to a store Friday. I plan to sleep til almost Noon while people are killing each other and then watch DVD's the rest of the day.

Never have done Black Friday, never will. :eek: A. I hate shopping to begin with and B. I hate crowds
Great plan!! :D

My daughter left at 4 in the morning to join the "running of the bulls." :lol: She had me make out my Christmas list yesterday.

My daughter left at 4 in the morning to join the "running of the bulls." :lol: She had me make out my Christmas list yesterday.
She's one brave girl, Irene! :D

She's one brave girl, Irene! :D
She's CRAZY!!!!!:crazy: :lol: :lol: :lol:

She's CRAZY!!!!!:crazy: :lol: :lol: :lol:
:D Yes, crazy and brave.

I know the mall's must be busy

Me and my cousin were supposed to go with our moms this year but then we learned they were meating at 3:30 and we decided not to

My daughter left at 4 in the morning to join the "running of the bulls." :lol: She had me make out my Christmas list yesterday.


I wish I could give my list to someone, what a great idea! You have your own personal shopper.:lol:

Me and my cousin were supposed to go with our moms this year but then we learned they were meating at 3:30 and we decided not to


I wouldn't want to go shopping that early either and it was probably crowded even then.:lol:

I usually shop on Black Friday but I go later in the day. I'm not getting up at 3 and 4 am to shop. For anything. That's precious sleep time for me. :sleep2:

I wish I could give my list to someone, what a great idea! You have your own personal shopper.:lol:
No Sweetie, she wanted my "wish list"...so she could buy what I wanted for
Christmas. I was in such a hurry to make it I forgot to put some of the DVD's I had really wanted. :eek:

^ Thats good too! Maybe she'll surprise you and get some of those things you didn't list.

Well, I just got home from work. It was a MADHOUSE at Walmart! We had a lady get BITTEN over a portable dvd player! :eek:

Well, I just got home from work. It was a MADHOUSE at Walmart! We had a lady get BITTEN over a portable dvd player! :eek:
And you were supposed to work til 2pm? If I'm right, it's nearly 5pm your time now. Dang. :eek: And geez about that lady! I hope there were police involved.

I'm thinking about the messes on the shelves I have to clean up tonight when I go in to work. :faint:

Well, I just got home from work. It was a MADHOUSE at Walmart! We had a lady get BITTEN over a portable dvd player! :eek:
STUPID PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:crazy:

Well, I just got home from work. It was a MADHOUSE at Walmart! We had a lady get BITTEN over a portable dvd player! :eek:
What the? :lol: Crazy people.

Walmart was really crowded this morning when I went. But it wasn't quite as insane as I thought it would be.

And you were supposed to work til 2pm? If I'm right, it's nearly 5pm your time now. Dang. :eek: And geez about that lady! I hope there were police involved.

I'm thinking about the messes on the shelves I have to clean up tonight when I go in to work. :faint:


Nah, it was 3:45 my time when I posted that. I got off work at about 2:15. It was the biggest mess I've ever seen. :rolleyes:

That's why I hate going to Wal-mart at times. I hate to say this but people can be pigs, they are messy, they don't care, etc. They drop something on the floor and just step over it. No respect.

Well, I just got home from work. It was a MADHOUSE at Walmart! We had a lady get BITTEN over a portable dvd player! :eek:
:eek: There were PETS wanted DVD players?

Nah, it was 3:45 my time when I posted that. I got off work at about 2:15. It was the biggest mess I've ever seen. :rolleyes:
Gotcha, so you're on Central time too. :) I wasn't sure about that. :lol:

:eek: There were PETS wanted DVD players?
:rofl: Yeah, they were bitches (female dogs)!

That's why I hate going to Wal-mart at times. I hate to say this but people can be pigs, they are messy, they don't care, etc. They drop something on the floor and just step over it. No respect.
I hate that kind of stuff. If I see somebody drop something or knock something off of a shelf I always pick it up and put it back. I'd feel like an idiot if I did that and left it there. :lol:

:rofl: Yeah, they were bitches (female dogs)!
LOL :rotflmao:

LOL :rotflmao:
And not dogs like Chumby, more like Farfel ( Seinfeld fans should get this one)
;) :lol:

And not dogs like Chumby, more like Farfel ( Seinfeld fans should get this one)
;) :lol:
:rofl:

:rofl:
LOL

"I like dogs....I don't think that's a dog" :lol:

LOL

"I like dogs....I don't think that's a dog" :lol:
:rofl: I can see that in my head right now...:lol:

Shoppers start holiday marathon

Black Friday crowds spend an estimated $20 billion. The big question for the economy: Will they keep buying?

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Worried retailers and mall operators breathed a sigh of relief after the 2007 holiday shopping marathon off to a robust start Friday.

According to the first early sales estimate, MasterCard Advisors retail analyst Michael McNamara expects Black Friday sales to hit $20 billion. MasterCard Advisors tracks spending made on credit and debit cards as well as cash and check transactions.

McNamara said the estimate represents 5 percent of total expected holiday sales and slightly outpaces last year's Black Friday sales of $19.1 billion.

However, some industry analysts caution that the early buying frenzy could soon peter out - and endanger crucial weekend sales - as millions of pre-dawn shoppers succumb to shopping fatigue.

"The early bird shoppers are definitely out there. But will it last through the day?" said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst with market research firm NPD Group.

Already, Cohen estimates that mall traffic in the early hours appeared to be down slightly compared last year.

"I'm basing this on mall parking lot capacity and the actual lines in front of stores before they opened today," Cohen said. "Last year there were 200 to 300 people waiting for stores to open on Black Friday. This year, it's maybe 100. And when these 100 people get in, that's it. I'm not seeing a second big rush into the store."

To his point, a Wal-Mart (http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=WMT&source=story_quote_link) (Charts (http://money.cnn.com/quote/chart/chart.html?symb=WMT&source=story_charts_link), Fortune 500 (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2007/snapshots/1551.html?source=story_f500_link)) store in Union, N.J., seemed to attract a smaller crowd than last year for its 5 a.m. opening. The shoppers who came out rushed to grab toys such as the Bratz fashion dolls and Dora products and electronics like the Polaroid 42-inch LCD TV set for $798 and a Magnavox DVD/VHS player for $69.

"[Today] will be an OK sales day, but the big issue is whether or not we'll get a slowdown midday," said Cohen. "I'm waiting to see how sales do today and the weekend. All three days are important, although I think Sunday will be much quieter than last year."

The day after Thanksgiving is dubbed Black Friday because it traditionally marks the day when retailers finally move out of the red, indicating losses, and into the black, representing profit.

It also sets the tone to the four weeks of gift-buying leading up to Christmas. Moreover, November and December, together, can account for as much as 50 percent of merchants' annual profits and sales.

This year's Black Friday rush is even more critical for retailers, who are facing a tepid sales forecast for holiday 2007. The National Retail Federation expects total holiday sales to grow 4 percent to $475 billion, its slowest growth in five years as millions of American households curtail their spending habits amid a housing downturn and other economic pressures.

If holiday sales come in below 4 percent, experts fear it could result in a retail industry shakeout marked by store closings in 2008.

"Retailers still haven't felt the full impact of the housing slump, sub-prime [mortgage] collapse, credit card problems and fuel prices on American households and their ability to spend," said Tim Finley, former CEO of men's specialty chain Jos. A Bank who is now managing director with turnaround consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal.

Retail analyst Britt Beemer said he, too, expects the shopping momentum to wane by mid-afternoon and in the coming weeks.

"Stores have opened much earlier this year and this will have a negative impact on sales," Beemer said. "If you are up at 4 a.m. to go to J.C. Penney or Kohl's, chances are when you're done, there's no more shopping left for you in the day."

Overall, Beemer expects holiday sales to grow a disappointing 2 percent. "I'm sticking to that forecast unless I see something improve dramatically over the next two weeks."

Specifically for Black Friday, Beemer said retailers did the right thing by using deep discounts to attract the early crowds but he's concerned that merchants may have killed the Friday after-work shopping rush in the process.

Some mall operators, however, took a different view.

Wally Brewster, spokesman for General Growth Properties, which operates more than 200 malls nationwide, said the company had similar concerns to Beemer's when some of its malls held midnight openings last year for Black Friday.

"But when we looked at the combined sales for Friday and the weekend, total sales at malls that opened at midnight showed a higher increase compared to our malls that didn't," Brewster said. "We'll see if that happens again this year."

So far, retailers do have more to cheer than complain about.

Black Friday's bargain frenzy kicked off just after midnight as throngs of shoppers shrugged off Thanksgiving Day fatigue to grab early bird sales on flatscreen TVs, clothes, jewelry and toys.

Electronics - especially high-definition plasma and LCD TVs, GPS navigation devices, Apple's iPhone and MP3 players - were expected to be among the most sought-after items.

Many retailers offered "doorbuster deals," which are special sales offered only for the first few hours on Black Friday. Some chains, including Kohl's and J.C. Penney (http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=JCP&source=story_quote_link) (Charts (http://money.cnn.com/quote/chart/chart.html?symb=JCP&source=story_charts_link), Fortune 500 (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2007/snapshots/695.html?source=story_f500_link)), opened at 4 a.m. nationwide.

"We had people camping outside the store from last night. They brought blankets, chairs, tents. They're really excited," said Andre Sam, an employee with a Best Buy (http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=BBY&source=story_quote_link) (Charts (http://money.cnn.com/quote/chart/chart.html?symb=BBY&source=story_charts_link), Fortune 500 (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2007/snapshots/196.html?source=story_f500_link)) store located in Manhattan.

By 8 a.m., Sam said a few of the hot items were already sold out."The $900 Panasonic 40-inch HDTV, the Samsung 40-inch HDTV and the $399 Sony laptop are gone," Sam said.

The first big shopping day of the holiday season also attracted plenty of international shoppers (http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/02/news/companies/malls_overseasshopper/index.htm?postversion=2007110217), taking advantage of weakness in the dollar.

This year, mall operator Taubman Centers offered $20 gift vouchers to Canadian shoppers to splurge at its four Detroit-area malls on Black Friday.

Taubman Center spokeswoman Karen MacDonald said the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel already had a 30 minute backup as early as 5 a.m. on Friday.

"Border security told us that nine out of 10 people driving in from Canada were shoppers," MacDonald said.

Elsewhere, Toys "R" Us CEO Gerald Storch told CNNMoney.com that it was "pandemonium" inside the the Toys "R" Us flagship in New York's Times Square when doors opened at 5 a.m.

"The lines outside were twice as long as last year because we're offering 101 doorbuster items, which is four times as much as last year," Storch said, adding that he was "encouraged" by the crowds given this year's spate of toy recalls that affected millions of products.

"I think parents are very smart. They know that with all the additional testing done after the recalls, we're only selling the safest toys," he said.
According to Storch, the hottest sellers were the Microsoft Zune MP3 player, Transformers toys, Hannah Montana dolls, Nintendo's Wii and the Guitar Hero videogame.

North of Atlanta, unusually heavy traffic was seen at 4:30 a.m. ET on exit ramps near malls and big stores in Cumming and Alpharetta, Ga.

Crowds flocked to the Tanger Outlet center in Riverhead, N.Y., as early as 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day for the mall's midnight opening.

"We estimate that more than 10,000 shoppers were already at the center before it officially opened today," Janine Nebons, general manager of Tanger Outlet center, wrote in an e-mail to CNNMoney.com.

"We estimate that more than 10,000 shoppers were already at the center before it officially opened today," Nebons said.

She said some shoppers waited as long as three hours to get into stores such as Coach, while many young shoppers rushed to grab deals on name brands such as Nike, Guess, Lucky Jeans and Juicy Couture.

Sears (http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=SHLD&source=story_quote_link) (Charts (http://money.cnn.com/quote/chart/chart.html?symb=SHLD&source=story_charts_link), Fortune 500 (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2007/snapshots/749.html?source=story_f500_link)) spokesman John Casey said the crowds at Sears stores exceeded 1,000 on average when doors opened - despite the retailer not offering early bird shoppers free gift cards this year.

"People were rushing to pick up the Sharp 46-inch LCD TV for $999. Jewelry is going like hot cakes and our Craftsman drill for $39.99 is a big seller," Casey said.

Good weather in the Northeast and Southeast also "helped put people in a great mood to shop," he said.

Industry expert Stevan Buxbaum said retailers could catch a break this year because of an extra shopping week between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"Retailers have a few more days to really drive sales over the holidays. They've worked hard to keep inventories lean and they've set holiday discounts very early," said Buxbaum, who is executive vice president of consulting firm Buxbaum Group.

Merchants with tightly controlled inventory will survive the holidays with decent sales, Buxbaum said. Electronics sellers will be winners "in terms of dollar volume and not necessarily unit volume growth," he said.

Lack of appealing fashion trends could dent clothing sales in the days ahead while some high-end retailers will struggle, especially names such as Coach that represent "aspirational" luxury for mid-income consumers, he said.

Come January, Buxbaum said retailers need to quickly transition into fresh spring merchandise, which they can sell at full price to post-holiday gift card shoppers.

"It's all about 2008 now," Buxbaum said. "Retailers have to be in stock in their core items and keep inventory under control. Maybe they will slow down growth and manage costs through more direct sourcing."

Despite all these challenges, the holiday season overall is still vital for the industry, said Ernst & Young's retail analyst Jay McIntosh.

"You can't completely ignore [it]. Shoppers will reward excellence by buying at stores that have great merchandise, aggressive prices and customer service," he said. "There will be some retail winners."

:rofl: I can see that in my head right now...:lol:
LOL I love that episode

Wow Janice...$20 billion???? :faint:

I wonder how much of that will end up as returns?

Today my daughter went to Best Buy and got great deals on DVD's...$3.99 on sale, originally $15.99.

I went to the mall with my brother and cousins today! There wasn't as much people as I expected. BLACK FRIDAY is the real deal. Great Bargins left and right. I bought a really nice red and black jacket Brooklyn Express jacket the Original Price was $44.99 then it said the sale price was 20$ but I ended up paying $9.97 for it wow such a great deal :eek:

Trader Joe's, cool stores. :) My brother manages one in California. He's been with the company for years. He started out here in Boston, but asked and got a transfer last year. They are a fantastic company to work for, with incredible benefits. They work hard though. Nobody's giving them anything.

They sure are a fantastic company. When they first came to Manhattan the line snaked around the block. I coudn't figure out why & I hate waiting. So I waited 6 months and then ventured in. My mouth dropped when I saw the prices. They're cheaper than Target. And nice. The lines can be a little hairy, but hey, for the fabulous prices you get, who minds a little waiting. I'm not surprised to hear they are a fantastic co. for their ees--they certainly are a fantastic co. for the public. And yes I've noticed the ees work hard. And it's true nobody is giving Trader Joe's anything--except lots & lots of business--which they deserve. IMO, Trader Joe's is the best thing that's happened in Manhattan in a long time.

What kind of store is Trader Joe's? I've heard about them a million times but we don't have one around here...:confused:

They are basically a food, cosmetic, and gourmet food store with NOTORIOUSLY LOW prices. They're wonderful.

We, at JCPenney, are always scheduled one hour after store closing time for replenishment, so we were regularly scheduled until 12:00 a.m. early this morning. What time did we end up getting off? Around 2:45 a.m.! That's nearly three hours later! :eek:

The store wasn't really organized, but we finally ended up helping the sales associates put back the stuff in their go-back carts just to get out. The early morning crew (about 5-6 a.m.) were going to show up within a couple of hours, so there was no use in staying that late finishing the replenishment.

I am tired today. Good thing that I don't enter work until 6 p.m., and we close at 10 p.m. Perhaps, we can be done about 11 p.m. today. Would be nice.

I had two good excuses: (1) I had to work, and (2) I was broke!

But, if I'd had plenty of time -- and money -- there is NO WAY that I would
have ventured out at 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. for ANYTHING!! But, as for the brave
souls who did: more power to ya!

:wave:

From CNN.com:

Although common lore considers it the top shopping day of the year, the day after Thanksgiving usually comes in no better than No. 5 and is the only top-10 shopping day to fall outside December, according to data supplied by the Purdue Retail Institute, the National Retail Federation and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

But the day some have called "Black Friday" -- because it's the day retailer balance sheets move out of the red and into the black -- is an important indicator of what's to come.

I had two good excuses: (1) I had to work, and (2) I was broke!

But, if I'd had plenty of time -- and money -- there is NO WAY that I would
have ventured out at 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. for ANYTHING!! But, as for the brave
souls who did: more power to ya!

:wave:
My sentiments exactly!!!

I had two good excuses: (1) I had to work, and (2) I was broke!

But, if I'd had plenty of time -- and money -- there is NO WAY that I would
have ventured out at 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. for ANYTHING!! But, as for the brave
souls who did: more power to ya!

:wave:
For sure. :lol:

i was up at 2:45 to hit the stores... got nearly all my christmas shopping done too

I shopped saturday and got alot of it done