Shoppers, retailers ready for early Black Friday sales

JACKSON, Tenn. — Despite Wednesday’s rain showers, grocery store parking lots were filled as people finished buying last-minute items for Thanksgiving dinner.

“Well I needed a few extra little things,” shopper Albert Lee said. “I didn’t want to be caught out in the morning. I wanted to have everything at the house.”

“Everybody always does everything at the last minute. That’s kind of like the norm nowadays,” shopper Tony Hill said. “It’s busy inside and outside. The parking lot is full and every line is full as well.”

For some, the turkey day family meal isn’t the only thing to look forward to. Black Friday sales are a huge part of the Thanksgiving day excitement, with some sales starting Thursday afternoon

“Opening early, that is a given on Black Friday, so we’re ready,” Stein Mart store manager Ann Bellamy said. “People have turned out, they’ve come out to shop. They’re fed and they need something to do, so they come out shopping.”

“Some stores are gong to be opening at 3,” Lee said. “So I plan to be one of the ones there — after I eat my Thanksgiving meal.”

Although Old Hickory Mall is closed on Thanksgiving, some anchor stores will be open as early as 3 p.m. that day. Barricades are already in place outside Best Buy for shoppers to wait in line before the doors open at 5 p.m.

Shoppers say they won’t let their dinner plans interfere with shopping and taking advantage of low prices.

“Maybe electronics as well as clothes and maybe some early Christmas shopping,” Hill said.

Stein Mart will open at 5 p.m. Thanksgiving day and Wal-Mart, Toys “R” Us and Target open at 6 p.m. Many stores will re-open as early as midnight on Black Friday.