NEW YORK (CNNMoney)
For all the talk of shopping boycotts -- on the grounds that family values exceed the desire to save a few bucks -- American consumerism has triumphed. The crowds that typically appear before dawn Friday showed up at what's traditionally dinnertime on Thursday.
Mall managers across the country said shoppers showed up in droves this year, only they all did it earlier. That led to a smoother flow of traffic throughout the night instead of the usual rush at midnight.
The Town East Mall in the suburbs of Dallas opened at 8 p.m., and thousands made their way to Macy's (M, Fortune 500), Sears (SHLD, Fortune 500) and J.C. Penney. (JCP, Fortune 500) Their demeanor was more calm and reserved than in years past, said mall manager Chad Hastings.
Related: Braving Black Friday in the U.S.? Send us your experiences
"This is definitely a game-changer as far as what the customer expects now," Hastings said. "In future years, the customer will expect stores to open at 8 o'clock."
The earlier start also meant that foot traffic dropped in the morning's early hours, an unusual sight. South Florida's Aventura Mall was nearly empty at 5 a.m.
At a Target in Philadelphia, Qiana Roberts skipped a family dinner for a spot in line. Collin Cook ate extra early on Thursday to join the hordes at J.C. Penney in Wayne, N.J.
Shoppers say workers should be home with their loved ones. But they'll head out anyway.
"I don't like that the hours are earlier. I think people should be able to be with their families on Thanksgiving," said Kim Schaefer as she shopped for shoes at J.C. Penney.
Related: Black Friday: Is it worth it?
Ishamar Dorma cut out of Thanksgiving festivities a little early to hit the West Philadelphia Target around 4 p.m., four hours before the doors would open. He wanted to get himself a little belated birthday gift, as he has turned 23 on Wednesday.
He was among the first 50 in line to get a ticket for the doorbuster prize, a 50-inch Element TV, normally $600, but on sale for $229.
"It's a good birthday gift," said Dorma, whose sheepish grin briefly emerged from an orange knit scarf and striped hat.
Here are the kinds of discounts that beckoned them: A 50-inch Element TV going for $229 instead of $600. Half-carat diamond earrings priced at $79. Side deals like Target's $100 gift card with every iPad.
That last one convinced Charlie Wu don his parka and brave the freezing weather outside a Target in New Jersey.
"I'll buy as many iPads as they'll let me buy," he said. Some will go out as gifts. But he said he'll take advantage of the temporarily low prices and sell the rest online.
Related: J.C. Penney shows signs of life on Black Friday
On the bright side, shoppers said they felt a calmer experience this holiday season. The typical rush into stores gave way to cool-headed families meandering through store aisles, perhaps still under the sleep-inducing effect of a full-sized dinner of turkey and cranberry sauce.
"I wouldn't have gone out on Friday -- it's too crowded," said Ann Delrio, who took to a J.C. Penney in New Jersey.
The lines were still long though. And there were reports of fights. On Twitter, the hashtag #WalmartFights became a top search term as people posted videos of violent brawls over low-priced products.
-- CNNMoney's Annalyn Kurtz and Jennifer Liberto contributed to this story
First Published: November 29, 2013: 6:26 AM ET
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Thanksgiving openings appear to succeed
Dengan url
https://ponselkuirit.blogspot.com/2013/11/thanksgiving-openings-appear-to-succeed.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Thanksgiving openings appear to succeed
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Thanksgiving openings appear to succeed
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar