Siouxland shoppers hit stores for Black Friday
By Dolly A. ButzJournal staff writer | Posted: Saturday, November 24, 2007
SIOUX CITY -- It wasn't so much the doorbuster sales that led Bonny Suhr of Pender, Neb., to wake up at 2 a.m. Friday and brave cold temperatures in search of Christmas gifts, but the chance to spend quality time with her two grown daughters, Terri Johnson and Joey Labadie.
"We have been doing it for years," Suhr said of the trio's post-Thanksgiving tradition. "It's just a togetherness. I like to have the girls with me because they kind of tell me what their kids need. It just works so good for us."
Like many Black Friday shoppers, Suhr, Johnson and Labadie, spent Thursday night scouring store ads for the best deals. Johnson, of Thurston, Neb., said they planned a route they were going to follow from store to store.
The day began at Best Buy. While Johnson and Labadie waited in line to purchase flat panel, high-definition televisions, Suhr shopped at Kohl's for luggage. After leaving Lakeport Commons, they hit JCPenny, Sears and Younkers at Southern Hills Mall.
Nearly eight hours after the shopping excursion began, Labadie of Lincoln, Neb., said she was still holding up.
"I'm doing OK," she said.
Besides caffeine, Labadie said her family's holiday tradition kept her going.
"We were waiting outside at Best Buy, and I'm standing there for two hours and I'm thinking, 'There's not one thing that I'm going to get in the store.' But it's just good memories with my sister and that's why I do it."
Johnson described the holiday shopping frenzy as "organized chaos," and praised retailers for being ready for their arrival.
"We have been having a ball," Johnson said. "They were so helpful this year. It went great."
Stores began ushering in customers as early as 4 a.m. for the unofficial start to the holiday season. This year, analysts expect sales gains to be the weakest in five years, as higher prices at the pump and grocery store pinch wallets. Washington-based National Retail Federation predicted that total holiday sales will be up 4 percent for the combined November and December period, the slowest growth since a 1.3 percent rise in 2002.
Best Buy general manager Erin Brekke said sales Friday morning were comparable to years past. She said flat panel TVs, laptop computers, iPods and Global Positioning Systems were flying off store shelves. As far as gaming, she said customers were buying Wii, a game console produced by Nintendo that features a wireless wand controller that detects acceleration in three dimensions. Sony's PSP, PlayStation Portable, is also a hot entertainment item this year.
Brekke said a line started forming outside of the store at 4 p.m. Thursday. When Best Buy opened at 5 a.m. Friday the line extend to the back of the building.
A ticketing process at Best Buy allowed customers at the front of the line a chance to get first grabs on certain items. Only 100 people were allowed in the store at a time, which Brekke said cut down on congestion and chaos.
"It's a very controlled process here. It's not a storm," she said.
Decked out in a red sequin Santa hat and reindeer antlers with bells and holly, Theresa Best of Waukee, Iowa, and her daughter Brittany Best browsed the iPods at Best Buy. The two woke up at 4 a.m. to snatch up holiday bargains.
"This helps me find her when I send her on errands," Theresa Best said of her daughter's antlers.
Shopper Alethea Heilman of Sioux City, described the scene earlier at Kohl's as "crazy."
"Kohl's is insane," she said. "I was in line for an hour."
At 8 a.m., four hours after Kohl's opened its doors, lines still streamed from cash registers at the front of the store all the way to the back. Shoppers stood patiently behind chain-linked barriers clutching toys and board games, and leaning against carts overflowing with clothing.
Across town at the new Bomgaars store on Hamilton Boulevard, parking was readily available and there were no long lines at check out counters. The Sioux City-based chain opened at 6 a.m.
McKenna said customers were buying "a little bit of everything," with power tools being a favorite. McKenna said he wasn't concerned about weak sales predictions.
"I think it's going to be a normal year," he said.
"We have been doing it for years," Suhr said of the trio's post-Thanksgiving tradition. "It's just a togetherness. I like to have the girls with me because they kind of tell me what their kids need. It just works so good for us."
Like many Black Friday shoppers, Suhr, Johnson and Labadie, spent Thursday night scouring store ads for the best deals. Johnson, of Thurston, Neb., said they planned a route they were going to follow from store to store.
The day began at Best Buy. While Johnson and Labadie waited in line to purchase flat panel, high-definition televisions, Suhr shopped at Kohl's for luggage. After leaving Lakeport Commons, they hit JCPenny, Sears and Younkers at Southern Hills Mall.
Nearly eight hours after the shopping excursion began, Labadie of Lincoln, Neb., said she was still holding up.
"I'm doing OK," she said.
Besides caffeine, Labadie said her family's holiday tradition kept her going.
"We were waiting outside at Best Buy, and I'm standing there for two hours and I'm thinking, 'There's not one thing that I'm going to get in the store.' But it's just good memories with my sister and that's why I do it."
Johnson described the holiday shopping frenzy as "organized chaos," and praised retailers for being ready for their arrival.
"We have been having a ball," Johnson said. "They were so helpful this year. It went great."
Stores began ushering in customers as early as 4 a.m. for the unofficial start to the holiday season. This year, analysts expect sales gains to be the weakest in five years, as higher prices at the pump and grocery store pinch wallets. Washington-based National Retail Federation predicted that total holiday sales will be up 4 percent for the combined November and December period, the slowest growth since a 1.3 percent rise in 2002.
Best Buy general manager Erin Brekke said sales Friday morning were comparable to years past. She said flat panel TVs, laptop computers, iPods and Global Positioning Systems were flying off store shelves. As far as gaming, she said customers were buying Wii, a game console produced by Nintendo that features a wireless wand controller that detects acceleration in three dimensions. Sony's PSP, PlayStation Portable, is also a hot entertainment item this year.
Brekke said a line started forming outside of the store at 4 p.m. Thursday. When Best Buy opened at 5 a.m. Friday the line extend to the back of the building.
A ticketing process at Best Buy allowed customers at the front of the line a chance to get first grabs on certain items. Only 100 people were allowed in the store at a time, which Brekke said cut down on congestion and chaos.
"It's a very controlled process here. It's not a storm," she said.
Decked out in a red sequin Santa hat and reindeer antlers with bells and holly, Theresa Best of Waukee, Iowa, and her daughter Brittany Best browsed the iPods at Best Buy. The two woke up at 4 a.m. to snatch up holiday bargains.
"This helps me find her when I send her on errands," Theresa Best said of her daughter's antlers.
Shopper Alethea Heilman of Sioux City, described the scene earlier at Kohl's as "crazy."
"Kohl's is insane," she said. "I was in line for an hour."
At 8 a.m., four hours after Kohl's opened its doors, lines still streamed from cash registers at the front of the store all the way to the back. Shoppers stood patiently behind chain-linked barriers clutching toys and board games, and leaning against carts overflowing with clothing.
Across town at the new Bomgaars store on Hamilton Boulevard, parking was readily available and there were no long lines at check out counters. The Sioux City-based chain opened at 6 a.m.
McKenna said customers were buying "a little bit of everything," with power tools being a favorite. McKenna said he wasn't concerned about weak sales predictions.
"I think it's going to be a normal year," he said.
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Drew wrote on Nov 24, 2007 5:15 AM: