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Coco Warner ReportingYou've heard the phrase before and I'm sure you'll hear it again, today is the BIGGEST shopping day of the year. The crowds start early and stay up late. So how do you get through it all?
If you're a die-hard shopper you've probably been up for several hours now, lined up in front of your favorite store. Maybe they even gave you a wake-up call. But if you're just getting ready to leave the house and brave the crowds, we have some advice.
Art Boxall, Target: "This is the craziest time of the year-- this is what we're in business for and right now we're just getting all the product in, filling our shelves, filling our floor pads."
Stores like Target live for days like today; the amount of business they do sets the tone for the rest of the holidays. So they try and entice customers with great deals.
Art Boxall: "We'll have limited quantities on some of it, so make sure you're early, make sure you come in early that morning."
Most stores have extended hours to deal with the volume of business and more security on hand to help with crowd control. Hopefully you’re familiar with your store's floor plan, that way you can get to the most popular areas first.
Art Boxall: "Electronics and toys, that's going to be the hot area the day after so..."
Of course, the most popular items are in the electronics department, where it's first come, first serve.
Art Boxall: "Once it's gone, it's gone until we replenish..."
So make sure you know exactly what you want before you enter the store. Target expects a big run on iPods and flat screen TV's, as well as anything Star-Wars related.
Once you have your items-- head straight for the check-out stands and have your information ready to go.
Art Boxall: "When you're in the front lanes waiting, have your checkbook ready to go, if you need to fill it out beforehand, and if you're with a credit card, make sure it's ready to go-- that will definitely speed up the lines."
And to help speed up the process most stores have all employees on deck, so to speak.
So here's some advice if you plan to brave the crowds today:
- Arrive Early
- Know floorplan
- No browsing
- Have checkout info ready
- Know return policy
Coming up Monday, we'll talk about some of the hot toys for this holiday season.
