Article: For some, hope fades in early morning shopping lines
Multimedia: Black Friday
By Matt Wilson
Staff Writer
Jason Scoggins spent his Thanksgiving at Best Buy.
The 26-year-old from Chickamauga, Ga., waited at the Hixson electronics retailer from 5 a.m. Thursday morning until its doors opened 24 hours later for the store's "Black Friday" sale. He was first in the line Friday morning to get two discounted laptop computers, one for himself and one for his girlfriend.
"It's exciting; it's crazy," Mr. Scoggins said. "A little cold."
Behind him stretched a line of shivering shoppers hoping to get an on-sale laptop, HDTV or video game system.
"It's been a long, boring time," said Kit Napier, 24, of Rock Spring, Ga.
Just down the road at Northgate Mall, shoppers standing in a line running from the mall's center almost to the Belk entrance benefited from a warmer, indoor climate and listened to music from a live jazz band. They were waiting to pick up "goodie bags," some of which included coupons for a free Nintendo Wii or a mall shopping spree.
Joe Janosko, the mall's senior manager, said the number of shoppers out in the wee hours of the morning was "remarkable."
"I feel there was a greater turnout than last year, even with the earlier opening hour," he said.
Many of the mall's stores opened their doors at 5 a.m., Mr. Janosko said. A few department stores, like J.C. Penney, were letting in customers at 4 a.m., he said.
The National Retail Federation, a trade association for retailers, predicted this year's holiday shopping season would be the weakest since 2002. The federation's forecast called for 4 percent sales growth compared to a 10-year average of 4.8 percent.
But Mr. Janosko said he believed Black Friday represents more than shopping for many. For some, it's a family event.
"It's not just a shopping thing," he said. "It's a social thing."
Jerry Hale, 36, a shopper at the Target on Gunbarrel Road, said there was one reason for his early morning trip: his wife. As the sun rose over the shopping center, he hovered over a cart full of merchandise, waiting in a checkout line that spanned the length of the store.
"It's been hectic," he said.
E-mail Matt Wilson at mwilson@timesfreepress.com
