Before most of the Thanksgiving turkeys even approach the oven on Thursday, a small line of tents will have formed in front of Best Buys across the country, knowing that Black Friday is only hours away. Every year stores open earlier and earlier on the actual day of Thanksgiving. The crowds storm the stores in search for good deals on the items from their Christmas list.
“My dad was the one who started Black Friday shopping,” senior Ingrid Vargas said. “He loves everything electronic. He would buy [things like] new phones and tvs.”
This year, very few stores are actually waiting until Black Friday to open. Some of the major stores are opening their doors early on Thanksgiving day. Some students believe it is wrong for stores to open on thanksgiving, seeing as it takes away from the family time Thanksgiving is supposed to represent.
“It ruins Thanksgiving Day. People [have to] hurry up and eat,” senior Vargas said. ” [Then they] don’t get to spend time with their families.”
Its only the beginning of the month, and retail stores are already putting ads in the paper, trying to attract the attention of the Black Friday shoppers. Some stores are even starting weeks before Black Friday even arrives.
“Starting sales early is great,” senior Vargas said. “Too [many] people [go on Friday,] and I hate big crowds, so when I go I know exactly what I’m looking for.”
Just last year seven major brands with stores in San Antonio opened their doors on Thanksgiving Day. Stores like Costco and Dillard’s, however, will not be opening until early Friday morning because they believe that Thanksgiving is for the families, not to go shopping.
“I don’t see why they have to open early,” senior Audrey Beech said, “I [would rather] spend time with my family.”
Every shopper has their favorite stores that they always plan to go to for this retail extravaganza.
“I go to Rue 21, Body Central, Wet Seal and Best Buy,” senior Beech said, “They usually have good sales.”
With only two weeks until Black Friday, shoppers everywhere are saving up to spend big when this all American tradition hits.
