Highlands County merchants gear up for Black Friday

Once Highlands County residents have stuffed themselves full of turkey, they can stuff their shopping carts full of Christmas gifts as the holiday shopping season officially kicks off Friday.

As in most years, those wanting to secure the best deals on Black Friday had better be prepared to be that early bird.

Both the JCPenney and Sears stores in Lakeshore Mall will be opening their doors at 4 a.m.

"They'll be doorbusters going on from 4 to 1 (p.m.)," said Bruce Horne, manager of JCPenney.

The JCPenney flyer advertises doorbuster items like women's boots for $29.99, 1/2-carat T.W. diamond necklaces, bracelets or earrings for $79.99 or 1/5-carat T.W. diamond stud earrings for $49.99.

Home Depot's hours will not change for Black Friday. Their doors open at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. They will offer $400 worth of savings on a pair of Maytag washers and dryers, a RIGID dry/wet vacuum for $19.88 and a Makita 18-volt Hammer Driver Drill & Impact Driver combo kit for $199.

Over at Lowe's, their savings start at 6 a.m. and include a Whirlpool Cabrio washer and dryer for $998 and a Whirlpool 24.8-cubic foot French Door Refrigerator for $898.

Big Lots will also be open for business at 6 a.m. Friday and have plenty of deals for shoppers to explore, such as a Vivitar 8MP camera with bonus case and tripod for $49.88.

At Walmart, customers will be allowed to camp out next to their gift picks beginning Thanksgiving Day.

"Most of our stores will be open 24 hours," said Kelly Cheeseman, a Walmart spokesperson, adding that each location will have store-specific plans on how to handle the rush of Black Friday shoppers.

Electronics will be heavily discounted during the 5 to 11 a.m. sales special period. A Magnavox Blu-ray player will be $78, a Samsung MX20 camcorder for $149, a Sanyo 50-inch plasma 720p HDTV for $598 and a Kodak CD82 digital camera for $69.

Buyers should check store circulars or Web sites for other Black Friday specials. Remember, these deals are generally for a certain period, so be prepared to wake up early and get that pot of coffee going.

On Black Friday, it is definitely the early bird who catches the worm.