Normally, my daughter and I get up like around 3 am, and out the door by 4 to head to JCP and get our free Mickey snowglobe and toodle about, buying clothes for us and whatnot. Then we head to a couple of other stores nearby, then to Ihop for breakfast and done usually by around 9 or 10. That's been our routine for years now and I've loved it.
This year, with the stores opening Thanksgiving afternoon/evening/night, she went out with her bf and shopped and then they slept in Friday.
I stayed home and had a Grimm marathon after the big Turkey dinner.
I slept in a bit more Friday morning cause I knew I only needed to go to like 2-3 stores. I still expected to see a crowd but as I got out there, probably more like 5:30, I went to JCP first and the parking lot wasn't jammed full. Inside, it was like almost no one was there? I had gone in without a jacket expecting to get hot with all the people like usual and nope. They still had plenty of stuff there, had carts even! No snowglobe but I didn't need that, but...wow...so after I walked around, picked up a couple things and then left. Normally I think I spend several hundred there and this year, like $60?
Then off to Bed, Bath, & Beyond. (Gotta love that store!) Now there, I shopped! They always have the neatest stuff in there. They had 20% off your entire purchase! I was like wow! Plus gave you a coupon for World Market and so I popped over there (didn't stand in line for the free teacup *snorts*) and picked up a few stocking stuffers in there as they always have the old fashioned and new innovative things there. Then one other stop and again, it wasn't jammed or overloaded with people. Amazing.
Off to IHOP and swung by to pick up a friend to go with me and got a seat right away no problem. Waitress there said she heard the police had to step in at a Walmart in Lewisville cause people were fighting over stuff. It's really not worth that. She also told us that they were not packed full this morning like they usually are.
She felt the stores ruined things by opening up Thanksgiving night. I have to agree in a way. On one hand, it was so nice to go out and not battle crowds Black Friday morning or stand in these hour long lines to checkout. I went right up to every register and they still had pretty much all I was looking for.
But on the other hand, I find the timing of it is really bad. To open on Thanksgiving night? Really? After your turkey dinner, it's nice to relax and watch shows together with the family. We still did that a little but I think its a shame to have the stores start their Black Friday deals on Thursday. Trying to prolong their sales and thinking to increase their revenue for this time of the year. But you know, more and more, I hear people sit home and just order it all online, wait for Monday, Cyber Monday now it's called and just wake up for their deals, click-click, sip of your hot chocolate and then go back to bed and sleep.
It just seems to be getting crazier and crazier all the time!
Most things I don't need to run around for and can order much of it online. I think tho' I may still end up at Bed, Bath & Beyond as they had the best deals I've seen and always a pleasure to shop there.
But I still don't need to wake up and OHMYGODEARLYAM to get anything.
I hope your experience shopping yesterday was as nice and relaxed and my own! :)
