Not even the cold was enough to keep people away from the Black Friday rush.
The promise of discounted laptops and video games was enough to stack up customers outside of Manteca’s Best Buy as they braved the night air while waiting for the store to open at 5 a.m. – with some people even showing up before midnight to stake out their place in line.
“It’s a small price to pay in order to get something that you won’t find later,” said Best Buy shopper Daniel Andrade. “It’s not every day you can get a laptop for $399 – it makes it easy to get most of shopping done early and not have to worry about it later.”
And the early indication from retailers is showing that it wasn’t just the die-hards that come out every year that made the annual Black Friday sales – the official kick-off of the Christmas shopping season that falls on the Friday following Thanksgiving – a success.
According to the National Retail Federation, it was a combination of bargain hungry shoppers and retailers that boosted the number of doorbusters they were putting out to attract shoppers from across the board. It attracted people like Andrade who usually take the day after Thanksgiving to rest and relax.
“It’s been a while since I’ve come out for one of these and I know that when I go home I’ll be glad that I did,” he said. “It’s a great chance to save a little bit of money, and the wait isn’t really all that bad.
“Just keep warm and talk to the person next to you – the time flies right by.”
It used to be that only Wal-Mart could draw the massive crowds that other Manteca commercial venues that have recently opened are now enjoying. Kohl’s brought in a significant number of Black Friday shoppers. Target is also proving to be an annual fixture on the lists of the budget-conscious shoppers.
Hitting as many as possible on the same day, said Robyn Porter, is the best way to make sure that you’re getting the bang for your buck.
“I thought that with the economy a lot of people would stay home this year, but there are a lot of places that have good sales today,” Porter said. “From here it’s over to Bass Pro and then on to Target – trying to get as much done as possible.”
The promise of discounted laptops and video games was enough to stack up customers outside of Manteca’s Best Buy as they braved the night air while waiting for the store to open at 5 a.m. – with some people even showing up before midnight to stake out their place in line.
“It’s a small price to pay in order to get something that you won’t find later,” said Best Buy shopper Daniel Andrade. “It’s not every day you can get a laptop for $399 – it makes it easy to get most of shopping done early and not have to worry about it later.”
And the early indication from retailers is showing that it wasn’t just the die-hards that come out every year that made the annual Black Friday sales – the official kick-off of the Christmas shopping season that falls on the Friday following Thanksgiving – a success.
According to the National Retail Federation, it was a combination of bargain hungry shoppers and retailers that boosted the number of doorbusters they were putting out to attract shoppers from across the board. It attracted people like Andrade who usually take the day after Thanksgiving to rest and relax.
“It’s been a while since I’ve come out for one of these and I know that when I go home I’ll be glad that I did,” he said. “It’s a great chance to save a little bit of money, and the wait isn’t really all that bad.
“Just keep warm and talk to the person next to you – the time flies right by.”
It used to be that only Wal-Mart could draw the massive crowds that other Manteca commercial venues that have recently opened are now enjoying. Kohl’s brought in a significant number of Black Friday shoppers. Target is also proving to be an annual fixture on the lists of the budget-conscious shoppers.
Hitting as many as possible on the same day, said Robyn Porter, is the best way to make sure that you’re getting the bang for your buck.
“I thought that with the economy a lot of people would stay home this year, but there are a lot of places that have good sales today,” Porter said. “From here it’s over to Bass Pro and then on to Target – trying to get as much done as possible.”
