Shopping on Black Friday

We did our part to contribute to the Friday after Thanksgiving shopping madness, but we don't shop for anything popular or exciting, so we escape mostly unscathed. Here's a rundown of our morning with the stores, approximate time we hit them, and a grade and analysis of how the experience was.

Best Buy (A for us, B overall): We started with Best Buy, having learned from last year when we spent an hour and 45 minutes in line to spend $20. We got to Best Buy around 4:15 a.m. and the line was already starting to loop back onto itself and into the parking lot. We decided it wasn't worth waiting in the cold, so we waited in the car until the doors opened at 5 a.m., and then joined the line. Even though we weren't the first ones in, we did manage to be one of the first ones out. We went straight to what we wanted, found the beginning of the line (Best Buy winds you through their appliance section like an amusement park -- really the best organization of the whole day) and were out of the parking lot by 5:18 a.m. The only reason they get a B overall is because they were already sold out of items before the doors even opened. Next stop ...

Office Depot (C): We stopped at Office Depot and waited about 20 minutes or so before the doors opened at 6 a.m. We stopped here to look into the Kodak EasyShare camera they advertised with the printer and free accessory kit. We were going to pick this up for Tiffany since she wasn't able to make it out this morning because she is visiting family. Once the doors opened, everyone flooded inside. We went straight to the camera section ... no EasyShare as advertised. They had a more expensive version. They were extremely understaffed, and they were all helping people order computers online. The one person we found who was available to field a question could only point us to the aisle we came from. This reeked of Black Friday inexperience. So we cut our losses and went to ...

Circuit City (F): Now, I had high expectations for Circuit City, having had very good experiences with them in the past. We get a parking space two spaces back at about 6:15. We felt confident, and knew that although the Kodak EasyShare they advertised wasn't exactly like the one from Office Depot, at least they should have their act together. As we walked in, they had yellow poster board signs hand drawn over different registers saying things like "Cameras redeem vouchers here." So I ask someone who looked like a manager, "What's with the vouchers?" And he replied, "If you don't have one, then don't worry about it" so I proceed to the camera line while Jeni looks for phones for us. No luck with the phones. In the meantime, I'm standing in a line to get to the camera counter to find out if they even have the camera in the first place. After about 20 minutes, the line has yet to move. 10 more minutes and we're starting to questions what we're doing there. There are two guys behind the counter, but only one ringing people up. The other is trying to hauk AOL memberships. So I go and ask him about the camera and the vouchers. He says, "If you don't have a voucher, you can buy a camera at 9:00 if any are left." I ask, "Even though your advertisement didn't say I would need a voucher and I can see the cameras sitting right there? You still won't sell me one?" And he said, "Not until 9 without a voucher." So at that point, we realized they had totally bungled this whole thing. I guess if you weren't in line this morning before they opened, you couldn't buy anything on sale. So again, we cut our losses and headed over to ...

Office Max (B): Office Max didn't open until 7 a.m., but Micheals next door was, so while I waited in line, Jeni went to ...

Michaels (A+): Jeni went straight in, coupon in hand, at about 6:45. Although the store was packed (Jeni's cashier said even they had a line this morning), Jeni managed to easily get everything she wanted, walk straight to a checkout, make her purchases and join me at ...

Office Max (B): As soon as the doors opened, I walked in and went to the camera counter, still determined to get this camera. Strange thing, there was no one behind the camera counter. After about a minute, an employee came over, and after two trips to the back room, brought me a camera. (On my was to the register, I saw them on an endcap ...) The lines could have been managed better ... they only had two registers open, but otherwise, all went well. Finally, we headed to the mall and ...

Old Navy (A): At Old Navy, we got breakfast bars and scratch-off savings. They had 2-fer offers all over the store. They did have long lines, but hey, every register was opened, so they were doing what they could. They were even playing "Getting Lucky in Line," giving out prizes in a Let's Make a Deal kind of game. (I won a $2 off coupon for having a picture of a high school dance -- Jeni's Birthday Prom). Done at Old Navy, we walked down to ...

KB Toys (B): They had what we wanted, and good deals, too. They only get a B because one employee was being a little too "let me help you ... let me help you" to the point of annoying and the store is sooo small and tight that it was pretty hot and crowded.

Now we are beat, ready to eat some leftovers and go back to bed. Happy Day-after Thanksgiving!