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Ready for rush: Stores, shoppers gear up for Black Friday

Merchants plan early openings, hot buys and layered promotions

Robert C. Reed

JCPenney employee Stacy Ramsey (left) rings up purchases for Frances Benfield of Morganton at Valley Hills Mall. JCPenney will open its doors at 4 a.m. Friday.

BLACK FRIDAY TIPS FROM THE RETAILERS

1. Get in line early for the hot-ticket items.

2. If you have the store’s flier, bring it with you. That way, if you need an employee’s help finding something, they will know exactly which product you’re talking about, and you can see what time the sales start and end.

Note: The Hickory Daily Record will have Black Friday sale fliers from many area retailers in the Thanksgiving edition of the newspaper.

By Sarah Newell Williamson | Hickory Daily Record

Published: November 22, 2009

HICKORY - Stores are looking to make things as easy as possible for the customer this year in an effort to get them in the door on Black Friday.

Target is opening its doors at 5 a.m. Friday, an hour earlier than last year, said Sarah Boehle, with Target's corporate communications department. For the customers who are standing in line outside the store between 4 and 5 a.m., they will receive a map of where the hot sale items are inside the store, she said.

JCPenney is opening at 4 a.m. for the third year in a row, said Brian Zachrich, manager of the store in Valley Hills Mall.

"The extra few hours have really helped the past few years," he said.

Toys "R" Us is opening even earlier. For the first time ever, the toy store is opening at midnight on Thanksgiving, and will remain open until 10 p.m. on Black Friday. The store will reopen at 7 a.m. on Saturday.

"We usually have people lined up outside at 3 a.m. that Friday, so I think the line may start at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving this year," said Angela Winters, manager of the Toys "R" Us on U.S. 70 in Hickory. "A different time slot for our opening is a new approach. We're excited."

The store has a list of the "Hot 15" toys this year. They include Zhu Zhu Pets, Disney Princess, Transformers and Wii sports, among others.

"I hope we get a lot of those in," Winters said. "But the shipment is divided up in a warehouse in Atlanta. We don't know how many we'll get."

On Black Friday, Winters said the store will be giving tickets to those in line for the hot items that are advertised in the circular. Many of the prices advertised are good from midnight through 5 a.m. only. Other deals will be good for later in the day.

"We'll have layered promotions," she said.

JCPenney is having doorbusters from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m., although there will be several "big buys" throughout the day, Zachrich said. The store will be open until 11 p.m. on Black Friday.

A press release on the company's Web site listed women's boots starting at $29.99, cashmere-blend peacoats for $49.88, juniors' sweaters for $9.88, girls' and boys' Arizona and Oki Dokie fleece for $6.88, 400 thread count Cindy Crawford sheet sets for $44.88 and other deals.

Black Friday specials will be listed on jcp.com beginning Monday, and will be in the store's newspaper circular on Thanksgiving. The Web site said the store is offering 15 percent more Black Friday deals over last year.

Zachrich said he wasn't concerned about JCPenney's Black Friday ad getting leaked online early.

"I don't think there will be any difference in traffic. It would be positive, if anything," he said. "We've been trending better this year with sales, and I think we'll do better on Friday this year."

Target is not concerned about its ad getting leaked online early, either.

"Each year, we hear reports that our Black Friday ads have been prematurely leaked to the public," Boehle said.

She warned the public that just because it's online, doesn't mean it's what the company's sales will be.

"We are unable to confirm the accuracy of any two-day sale ads or pricing information posted online until our official two-day sale circular is publicly released," Boehle said. "We encourage guest to visit our Web site on Wednesday, Nov. 25, to view all of the great deals and incredible savings featured in our official two-day sale circular. Guests will also receive a printed copy of the two-day sale circular in their Thanksgiving Day newspapers."

Boehle was unable to confirm the number of the hot items, like TVs, Blu-Ray players and select toys the Hickory store would get this year.

"Part of the excitement surrounding Black Friday and our two-day sale is attributable not only to the great deals we offer but also to the limited-time nature of the event," she said. "We encourage guests to shop early during our two-day sale in order to ensure they receive the best deals."

Target is also directing shoppers to the Web site this year, which will have special deals featured on it Thanksgiving day that are only available online.

JCPenney is directing customers to its Web site on Sunday and Monday, Nov. 29 and 30, for what it is calling "screenbusters." The Monday after Black Friday has been called Cyber Monday in recent years, with more deals on companies' Web sites.