Local News

Ready, set, BUY! Local shoppers gobble up Black Friday deals

Photos

Marc Valero | Highlands Today
Published: November 24, 2012

SEBRING Soon after gobbling up the turkey, shoppers hit the stores Thursday evening and Friday morning to snatch up the Black Friday bargains.

Some retailers spread their big deals over a few key time periods, which seemed to slightly lessen the midnight frenzy, but some shoppers reported it was still a battle at times.

Jahliesa Robinson grabbed a 46-inch TV at 5 a.m., Friday, at Kmart.

"I was worried about them running out because I went to Walmart and they sold out and I went to Sears and this was my last opportunity. I was the second to the last to get it," she said.

It was 71-year-old Bob Wheeler's first Black Friday shopping trip and he learned the big deals don't last long.

He was hoping to get a 50-inch television for a condominium community center at Kmart at 5 a.m., Friday, but they went on sale at 8 p.m., Thursday.

The salesman explained to Wheeler that they sold out quickly.

Wheeler said the problem was he was enjoying Thanksgiving on Thursday.

"That's life, you win some, you lose some," he said. He was going to get a cup of coffee and then go to his maintenance job at the condominium.

Lori Sethman-McKee and her mother, Barbara Sethman, browsed through a store advertisement as they sat outside the Lakeshore Mall entrance at 4:50 a.m., Friday, waiting to go into Kmart.

"We went in through Sears and got a couple of great deals and then we went over to Belk and got a couple more great deals," Lori said.

Barbara noted, "The interesting thing is she [her daughter] is from Fort Lauderdale and what you call crowds here are not a crowd."

Lori said, "It's more fun to shop here on Black Friday because the lines down there are – they start camping out on Tuesday."

Sisters, Kitty and Lory King, shopped at Bealls Friday morning.

Kitty said she was shopping for everybody – men, women, kids, grandma, grandpa.

"Hey Lory, I found a large over here," Kitty said showing her sister a men's printed T-shirt. "Are you finding what you want?"

Kitty said she couldn't find the right size.

Lory replied, "We are going to have to get a manager over here."

Pointing out their gift shopping and everyday household shopping, Kitty said, "Us women are keeping the economy going."

Commenting on Facebook, Ashley Edmondson of Sebring said people were pretty much on top of her just to get a griddle at Walmart.

"It was insane," she said.

Near the Sebring Walmart Thursday night, Nora Winkler noted that the parking spilled over to the Suntrust bank and Walgreens across the street.

"Walgreens' lot was half full of Wally World shoppers," she said. "We just may see retailers doing better this season."

Kathy Collier of Sebring said she was by the checkouts just before Walmart's "second event" and heard a roar of people.

"It was my 19-year-old's first Black Friday buying something for himself and I was genuinely worried for him," she said. There was organized craziness in soft lines at the "first event." At their "third event" relative calm.

Jessica L. Jestes of Sebring said the "second event" at Walmart was "massive craziness" as she tried to buy a cell phone.

An "older guy was trying to take the phone I had; when I wouldn't let go, he tried to bite me," she said. "I let go, grabbed another and ran. When we left, the cardboard display was shredded and trampled. Over a few cell phones!"

mvalero@highlandstoday.com (863) 386-5826