LUMBERTON — Shoppers and retailers are getting excited and ready for what is considered the biggest in-store shopping day of the year, Black Friday.
“Black Friday is awesome,” Raechel Locklear, 16, said.
She and her friends Marissa Parnell and Sierra McLean, also 16-year-olds, are looking forward to shopping for the deals that will be offered Friday at Biggs Park Mall in Lumberton.
“They have very good stuff that is cheap and at this mall,” Parnell said. “They have good ice cream as well.”
McLean has a certain amount of money for Christmas presents for her mother and the rest of her family.
“I have to budget, so it’s easier to get things within my budget on Black Friday,” she said.
According to the National Retail Federation, 30 percent of annual retail sales occur between Black Friday and Christmas, with shoppers spending on average $1,007.24 each. Black Friday earned its name because it is the day of the year that retailers traditionally go from being in the red to the black for the year.
Biggs Park Mall will be open from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day and from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Black Friday.
This is second year the mall’s hours have been set like this, said Chelsea Biggs, mall manager and owner.
“We were successful with it last year and hope to have the same success this year,” she said.
The management at Rue 21, a women’s clothing store in the mall, plans to have practically everything in the store on sale.
“Almost everything in the store is going to be 40 percent off, but we won’t know what until after closing on Wednesday night,” said Denesha Boaz, store manager.
She has the necessary beverage to give her the boost needed to deal with the hundreds of shoppers coming in on Friday.
“Red Bull will be my companion for that day,” Boaz said.
But, Black Friday isn’t for everyone.
“I can’t stand being in a crowd,” said Connie Savage, 58, of Elizabethtown. “I’m shopping now to get ahead of the crowd. I like a sale, but I don’t like a crowd.”
Chelsea Hudson, a retail expert at TopCashback.com, has some advice for holiday bargain hunters.
“Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two of the most anticipated shopping days of the year, providing consumers with thousands of deals and steals,” Hudson said. “It is important to head into the biggest shopping holidays of the year with a game plan. Research what items you would like to buy and once you’ve created a list, compare prices at various retailers to score the best deal. Remember to prioritize your shopping list by one day offers the most discounts.
“The best day to shop depends on what you are looking to purchase. The general rule of thumb is, the higher the demand for the product, the earlier consumers start purchasing. Hot-ticketed items or door-buster deals, including TVs, toys, small kitchen appliances, should be purchased on Thanksgiving and Black Friday because of sale prices and limited inventory.”
