This is for personal, noncommercial use only.
Today's Front Page
Gas Buddy
Stores take extra measures to ensure safety during Black Friday sales
Print this Article- Font Size:
- Default font size
- Larger font size
Something about the discount prices and door-buster deals of Black Friday drives people batty.
Last year, a Walmart employee was trampled to death when an unruly crowd broke through the double-glass doors of his New York store less than five minutes before they were set to open and stormed the entrance.
And in 2001, it took nine patrol cars to calm an angry crowd of shoppers at the Wal-Mart in Hamilton Township after some of the estimated 1,000 shoppers starting fighting over people cutting in line.
These are just two of the countless examples of Black Friday violence.
As a result, some retailers changed their Black Friday procedures this year in an attempt to prevent that kind of melee from ensuing, while other opted to stick with what worked for them in the past.
Extended hours
After last year’s tragedy, Walmart (which recently changed the spelling of its name) extended its Black Friday hours to allow people to wait inside the store in the department where the items on their wish list were located until the sale started at 5 a.m.. The retail giant also provided shoppers with online maps of where in their stores those items would be located.
“It’s much better this way,” said Stafford Township Resident Stephanie Howard, who got in line for a Rock Band video game at 12 a.m. at the Walmart in Stafford Township and was able to wait with her young child in the warm store instead of standing in the cold. “It’s much easier when you don’t have to fight for stuff.”
The customers were allowed to roam inside the store — some hit up the in-store Subway and others opted to shop for everything not wrapped in cellophane. All of the items that were scheduled to go on sale at 5 a.m. were either roped off or wrapped in plastic.
There were still some — such as the members of the New Jersey Chapter of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club — who chose to forgo the comforts of waiting inside in favor of getting the true Black Friday experience waiting outside. They passed the time by singing karaoke and playing video games.
“I was the first one in the door here the last eight years and I‘m disappointed that that will end this year,” said Jackie Jones, 27, of Long Beach Island. “But we still love our Walmart, so we forgive them.”
But despite Walmart’s efforts, the store did turn into a bit of a madhouse when the clock struck 5 a.m., as some shoppers refused to wait for employees to finish unwrapping the big-ticket items before they started digging into them. However, slightly impatient customers are much better than a stampede.
The Sears location in the Hamilton Mall also took safety precautions as a result of last year’s stampede.
“We advertised that everyone was to wait outside the second floor entrance inside the mall,” store manager Randy Cerce said, adding that most of the early bird shoppers stayed on the second level to take advantage of deals on appliances, electronics and tools. “Then we went down the line to talk to each of the 100 to 150 people that were waiting to explain to them that we were only going to let people in five or six at a time and informed them where they could find their items.”
Cerce also gave out coupons for limited-stock items to prevent everyone from trying to beat everyone else to the items when the doors opened.
“So far I am very happy with how things went,” Cerce said. “And we didn’t have a single customer complaint, which for Black Friday sales, is unheard of.”
‘Locked and loaded’
While Walmart and Sears were trying to tame their crowds, the staff at the Best Buy in Hamilton Township did everything possible to rev up the excitement.
General Manager Mark Pierandozzi climbed on top of the customer service counter shortly before the store’s doors opened to the thousands of shoppers waiting in a line that stretched around the building.
Pierandozzi used the counter as a soapbox of sorts, to rile up his employees, much like a football coach prior to a championship game.
“Are we ready to win?” he asked them.
“Every day!” they shouted.
Pierandozzi said he expected the store to break the $1 million sales mark Friday.
“All trends and projects point to us having a big day today, probably the biggest day this store has ever had,” Pierandozzi said. “Our in-stocks are impeccable, our staff is impeccable, and our customers are excited to be here. … We’re locked and loaded.”
The National Retail Federation estimated that 134 million people expect to shop this Black Friday, which is up from the 128 million who planned to do so last year.
Hamilton Township resident Debbie Green was the first customer through Best Buy’s door.
“I’ve been waiting here since 8:30 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, because I want to get a laptop for me,” said Green, who said her husband, Jose, and others took turns in line with her. “I don’t care what my husband wants to get, I’m here for me.”
Nearly a dozen police cars and K-9 units were on hand to keep the peace at Best Buy, but Green set the speed with which everyone behind her would follow — slow and methodical.
“I’m not about to go running through the store,” Green said. “That’s why I’ve been out here since 8:30 a.m. yesterday.”
Follow the deals
Other shoppers were drawn to the early sales by incentives beyond just bargain prices.
At 4:30 a.m. in the Cumberland Mall, a line of shoppers starting forming outside of clothing retailer Old Navy. The deals on jeans and sweatshirts were fine, but they were there for the video games.
Crystal Moore, of Dennis Township, has five kids. She’s more than willing to make the drive if it means getting her hands on a great deal such as a free Lego Rock Band video game with the purchase of steeply discounted clothes.
Moore has been doing the early-morning Black Friday thing for the past three years. This year, she said, she’s seen better offers than in years past.
“You can’t beat the deals and in this economy you need to get the deals,” the 28-year-old said as she put on a wristband designating her as one of the first 50 shoppers in line. “We’ll get (the game), then it’s on to another store, and then another. We go where the deals are.”
The thing about the best deals is, you usually only get one. In the same mall, a much longer line, two of them actually, started to form at entrances to Boscov’s department store.
A promotion called “It’s in the bag,” provided the first 503 shoppers with the chance to win a variety of prizes and merchandise. With no minimum-purchase strings attached, shoppers could win gift certificates ranging from $10 to $150 and merchandise including flat screen televisions.
When the shoppers lining up inside the mall were told they would have to wait outside with the others, they were dismayed. But, despite the line to get in wrapping around the building, the efforts of those displaced shoppers were not wasted. They too were able to get their own free gifts.
Salem resident Betty Moore was one of those waiting for a free gift. The Black Friday thing, she said, isn’t something she’s really into, but her husband was away, so she figured, why not go?
“It sounded like something that could be good,” said Moore. “It feels like there are a lot more deals, and what (retailers are offering) keeps increasing over time.”
Boscov’s Manager Les Verhoek said that’s true. The “in the bag” promotion was a first for the store and one that was offered to the first 450 customers on Thanksgiving Day, too.
“It seems like every retailer is offering something,” he said. “I think it’s crucial and I think it’s been a phenomenal thing.”
Staff photographer Bill Gross contributed to this report.
Contact Edward Van Embden:
856-649-2072
Contact Robert Spahr:
609-272-7283
Posted in BUSINESS | BREAKING on Friday, November 27, 2009 11:00 pm Updated: 11:03 pm.
Most Read Stories of the Week
29,000 still without power in Cape May County; new storm expected to arrive shortly
29,000 still without power in Cape May County; new storm expected to arrive shortly
Atlantic City supervisor charged with selling drugs while working on city property
Woman charged with stealing from local mayor is same woman who sued him alleging sexual harassment
2 comments:
Click here to report a comment as abusive.