Shoppers choose deals over Thanksgiving dinner
Mike Franke likes being first in line for Black Friday deals, so he planted himself in the small slice of real estate right outside the Best Buy store in Delafield.
Franke didn't arrive a few hours before Best Buy opened at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Or even a few days before.
No, Franke is a hardy hearty with time to burn, or at least vacation to use from his job at the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles. So he took roost at Best Buy a full week before the big sale.
Arriving at 3 p.m. on Nov. 17, Franke set up two tents — one for sleeping, one for a living room outfitted with a heater and television hooked into Direct TV powered by his own portable generator. He's done this at the same Best Buy for the last 10 years.
And the object of his desire? A TV.
"It's tradition, believe it or not. Everyone thinks it's the deals, but it's the tradition. I actually met the other people in line 10 years ago, and we see them every year and we've become friends," Franke said Thursday afternoon, about two hours before he was the first person through the sliding glass doors to snap up a Toshiba 50-inch 4K TV for $199 for his man cave.
Lines quickly formed at other stores in the Milwaukee area on Thursday as well, as folks pushed themselves away from Thanksgiving tables to hunt bargains. Some compared it to Wisconsin's popular gun deer hunt, also happening this week. But instead of white-tails, deals were the prey.
Retailers opening their doors on Thanksgiving also were hunting, for holiday shopping dollars — figuring that if they're closed on the holiday while their competitors are offering door-buster sales, they'll end up with a smaller slice of consumers' cash.
The National Retail Federation estimates consumers will spend $655 billion in November and December this year.
"This time of year starts the holiday shopping season. It's the biggest week in retail," Wal-Mart Stores Inc. senior manager of communications Amber March said Tuesday at Walmart in Greenfield.
Starting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Walmart offered in-store sales on items including Philips 55-inch 4K televisions, drones that shoot video, Star Wars-, Trolls- and Frozen-themed toys, and the hot toy of this season, Hatchimals. The items were also offered all day online.
Debra Young was the first outside Boston Store at Southridge, showing up at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, 3 1/2 hours before the doors opened. She, and everyone else in line, was given a $10 gift card to spend. She planned to buy pillows, towels and shirts.
"They have a lot of good deals," said Young as she shivered in the 40-degree air. "I should have brought my gloves, though."
Christy Clausen got up at 5 a.m. Thursday to pore over store sale circulars and come up with a game plan. She arrived at the Southridge Boston Store first but didn't see anyone in line so she went to Walmart. But when she couldn't find what she wanted at Walmart she returned to Southridge.
"I spent hours deciding where I'd go. I came out right after I finished Thanksgiving dinner," Clausen said.
Friends Emily Vargas and Riley Wendlick arrived at Southridge at 3 p.m. so they could buy $10 shirts and $25 sweatshirts at Pink. At 5:15 p.m. they were first in line outside the store on the mall's second floor, waiting for employees to raise the gate. They didn't know when the store was opening, but they were hoping it wasn't much longer.
Wendlick planned to buy two shirts and a sweatshirt, while Vargas was purchasing one shirt and one sweatshirt.
"If we put our purchase together (to spend at least $75) you get a free tote bag and free lotion and perfume," said Wendlick, who wanted the perfume and lotion, while Vargas wanted the tote bag.
While some shoppers just showed up and hoped to find something they wanted, others were armed with store maps, sale fliers and a plan. Jess Coulson visited in advance every store where she planned to shop on Thanksgiving, noting where in-store exclusive items were located. Some retailers handed out store maps to people in line, which Coulson said was a help.
Coulson started her reconnaissance Wednesday night, stopping at the Best Buy in Delafield to check store displays, and returned at 12:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving to get a spot in line. She also wore three layers of pants and brought a chair and coffee for comfort.
Coulson shops with her brother, helping him pick up presents including her own — to make sure she'll get something she wants — and she stationed her sister at Target in Delafield, sending electronic messages with items to buy.
The legwork always pays off, Coulson said. "That way I can make one pass, get everything I want and go straight to the checkout."