San Angelo Shoppers Share Black Friday Experiences

Thanksgiving Day was cut short as Black Friday shopping began hours earlier this year.  With the Sunset Mall opening at 8 p.m. on Thursday, as well as Thursday evening openings for WalMart, Best Buy and Target, consumers were able to spend their money sooner and retail employees had to clock in earlier as well.

Some of San Angelo’s Black Friday shoppers gave LIVE! a glimpse of their survival story.

“You don’t come without a mission,” Kate Daughtry said. Daughtry studied Thursday’s ads prior to making her trip to the mall. She said, “You have to know what you are going in for.”

Tammy Trevino knew exactly what she was after when she jetted to JCPenney after work. “I was still in my uniform, but I had to get my CHI flat iron,” Trevino, who works at Shannon Hospital, said.

After getting out of work at eight o’clock Trevino headed to the mall. “By the time I got there everyone was already in the store. It didn’t seem too crowded,” she said.

After grabbing her flat iron, Trevino took a look at the shoes. “I couldn’t believe it. Not long after the store opened the shoe department was already chaotic. It was as if people were looking for free lotto tickets in the shoe boxes,” Trevino said.

Trevino gave up on the shoes and put herself in line to pay for her hair tools. “That is when it got bad. It took me almost two hours to get to a register,” Trevino said.

Lisa Ramiro agreed that while shopping it didn’t seem that the crowds were too bad until it came time to pay out. “The lines were so long,” said Ramiro, who got her start at 1 a.m. and shopped at Sam’s, Target, WalMart, and the mall.

But aside from check out Ramiro said, “It was busy, but it wasn’t bad. It was all well organized.”

Alexandria Suarez said she reviewed the advertisements before hitting the stores. “TV’s, iPad Minis, and gift cards given with purchases,” Saurez said were the best offers on Black Friday.

While the majority of shoppers were chasing appliances, Brenda Montez said for her the best deal of the day were the Coach purses at Dillard’s. “I got a $300 purse for $100,” Montez exclaimed

For Stormi Chacon the day was tiring. Being up all morning made the day of shopping less excited. “I had to take a break and sit on the bench while they [the group she was shopping with] continued,” Chicon said.

Chicon said, “It started as Christmas shopping for others but now I’m mostly getting for myself.”

Shoppers said they noticed the impact of stores being open Thursday evening.

Ramiro said, “It has been less crowded during the day which is nice.”

“It really is fun. We get to spend time with family running around all these stores,” Montez said. 

But if the checkout lines and crowds kept you away from deals these past two days the shopping season is not over--you can always grab a bargain and support the local economy on Small Business Saturday, or find a deal on Cyber Monday. To review the online sales for the Monday after Black Friday visit www.cybermonday.com