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SALT LAKE CITY — For a whole lot of people, getting in on a really good holiday shopping deal is worth staying up late for — or, in some cases, up all night.
Customers waiting in line at Sears near downtown Salt Lake City were quite good-natured about being among the throngs who were ready to make the "mad dash" into shopping nirvana when the store officially opened at 4 a.m.
Nearly a thousand people formed a long, meandering line from the main entrance that wrapped around the building. Then, just as the clock approached the magic hour, several shoppers unexpectedly began rushing in from a side entrance, prompting a mild panic from the store manager. Luckily, disaster was averted when security personnel was able to gain control and the crowd was allowed to orderly make its way into the various departments.
One of the first people in line was Becky Vinberg, who drove in from Centerville with her husband, in an adventure that started late Thursday night.
It's just fun and you really do get a lot of really good deals and save a lot of money.
–Becky Vinberg
"We actually got here at 1 o'clock," she said with a bright smile. "We got to Walmart for their 10 o'clock sale, then we were at Shopko when they opened at midnight and were here by 1 a.m."
She said they bought "random stuff" at each stop and were coming to Sears for tools. And while there was some method to her shopping madness, it was mostly a continuation of a holiday tradition that her family has enjoyed "every year since I was 15," the 30-something Davis County resident explained.
"It's just fun and you really do get a lot of really good deals and save a lot of money," Vinberg said. The Vinberg shopping extravaganza would continue on as she and her husband headed for Smith's and Costco later, she said.
Saving was the key word for many in the crowd, including first-time Black Friday shopper Jeremy Fall of Salt Lake.
"There are just so many great deals," he said. "I wanted to save on a new TV."
Related:
Shoppers' cars towed in Orem
Dozens of shoppers looking for Black Friday deals had their cars towed or booted in a parking lot west of Walmart in Orem. Nearby, a group was hit with pepper spray while standing in line at Toys R Us.Mission accomplished! Fall walked away with a new flat screen that was marked down $1,000. Not bad for a first-timer.
For many holiday shoppers, Black Friday represents another opportunity to share time with family.
Kellie and Mark Myer drove in from Tooele in the wee hours of the morning with their 2-year-old son. All things considered, it was well worth the trip, Kellie said.
For those willing to make the trek to any retailer in the middle of the night, the experience is definitely made worthwhile when you can claim you got most of the items you came for. Such was the case with Amber Marion.
The petite Salt Laker hit the jackpot in the Sears tool department, collecting two very large bags of handyman items for family members, not to mention a nice digital camera from the jam-packed electronics department.
"I almost didn't get up because I was too tired," she said with a laugh. "But you save money, so it's worth it to get out of bed."
#poll
While Marion forced herself to get out of bed to enter the shopping fray, she was accompanied by Ryan and Lucia McKeag — who hadn't been to sleep since early Thanksgiving morning.
Ryan, a newcomer to Black Friday shopping, said he was disappointed by some of the pushing and shoving he saw as customers tried to claim their items.
"People are ignorant," he said wryly. Despite having to deal with some unruly customers, he said the experience would not prevent him from trying again next year, especially if there were good deals to be had.
He left the store with the deeply discounted toolbox he had hoped to find and a new tool bag as a free gift to boot.
Making sure customers have a positive shopping experience on such a busy day can be challenging, but store manager Carrie-Ann Corona said it is one of days that she looks forward to every year.
"This is the day we work for all year long," she said. "It's very exciting when I see the line outside because it's customers that took the time out of their night and their morning to be here."
Email:jlee@ksl.com
