Thanksgiving Day shopper at Best Buy in Falls Turkey or TV. For Joe Scurti the choice Thursday was an easy one.
The Lambertville resident has cooked plenty of holiday birds over the last 15 Thanksgivings. But a 50-inch Smart TV for $179 is a deal harder to resist than a second helping of grandma’s sausage stuffing.- So Scurti bundled up, drove a half hour to the Best Buy in Falls and set up his folding chair. It was around 6 a.m. The store didn’t open for another 11 hours. He was second in line. The guys in front of him got there as the store was closed on Wednesday night.
“I can get turkey anytime,” Scurti said. “I’m saving $400 on a TV.” - Far more Americans – an estimated 70 million – are expected to visit online and brick-and-mortar stores today, Black Friday, according to NRF. But the popularity and convenience of online shopping and third-party cash-back apps, means consumers no longer rely on the one-day-only discounts associated with Black Friday, said Ross Steinman, a psychology professor at Widener University.
- “Black Friday as we once knew it no longer exists,” he said. “It used to be the best deals were on Black Friday and I don’t believe that is the case anymore.”
But Steinman and others believe Black Friday shopping is a ritual that is more about bonding than bargains. - “I feel like the Black Friday shopping thing you either love it or you don’t. And if you love it, it’s a thing you’ll keep doing,” said Amy Lavin, an assistant professor of management information systems at Temple University’s Fox School of Business. “I think we’re looking for events more these days than deals. We’re looking for that connection.”
- Newtown Township resident Ken Dolan browses online for items and reads reviews, but he prefers visiting stores where he can handle the merchandise and ask employees questions before buying.
- He was among the first people waiting outside at the Bon-Ton in Doylestown, which opened its doors shortly before 11 a.m. on Thursday. His cart quickly filled: Socks, gloves and jeans for his sons. A coffee maker for himself. A down comforter. Many items were less than half the regular price, he said. He even scored a $10 gift card as one of the first 200 customers.
- “The store was packed,” Dolan added. “My shopping cart became a hot commodity.”
- He described the mood as cheerful with many customers thanking employees for working on a holiday. He returned home with plenty of time to spend with his family, too.
- “I’ll be out again next year,” he added.
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Shoppers give thanks for earlier store openings in Bucks County
Posted Nov. 24, 2017
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