Video: Shoppers Out Early For ‘Black Friday’ Deals

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TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) — Northeast Mississippi shoppers were out in full force only hours after their Thanksgiving lunches.

And stores reported brisk business as “Black Friday” kicked off.

It was barely 7 this morning and Sears Team Member Jade Ford was restocking sales flyers, in between waiting on customers.

Joseph Atkins came from Hamilton, Alabama for some Black Friday Specials.

“They have appliances here, over 50 percent off and get delivered to your home,” Atkins said.

Tupelo resident Lynn Gray bought a floor jack for her husband. She looks forward to Black Friday.

“That’s what gets me in the spirit,” Gray said. “The shopping”

“Yes.”

That’s what retailers like to hear. Rob Wolfe is manager of the Sears in the Mall at Barnes Crossing and says Thanksgiving and the day after are huge.

“These two days, we could put a normal month’s worth in. This is very very big for us, not only Black Friday, but leading right through Christmas. It crescendos all the way through,” Wolfe said.

True Southerners is one of the newest mall tenants. They opened at 6 Thanksgiving evening and will close at 9 Friday night.

“We had a good turnout last night, everybody was in a festive mood and enjoying the early shopping,” said store manager Dana Harrison.

For some shoppers, Thanksgiving and Black Friday ran together.

“We left our house at 7 last night, drove here for two hours, we got here and we haven’t been asleep yet, It’s a tradition in our family, my grandmother’s here, and we’ve been doing this since I was probably around eight,” said shopper Brynn Latham.

On the west side of town, Room to Room Furniture offered early birds a chance to win several prizes including an iPad.

Owner Lisa Hawkins says Black Friday has always been good for business.

“When we opened the doors we had people standing in line, it’s always a really good shopping day for us, we pay customers sales tax, we do sale items, we do doorbusters and we continue that on through Saturday, for Shop Local Saturday,” Hawkins said.

And Hawkins also looks forward to Black Friday for another important reason.

“We love today, because today is the day you can start saying Merry Christmas,” she said.

And remember, retailers and law enforcement encourage everyone to expect large crowds at the malls and other commercial centers through Christmas.