Black Friday in Ann Arbor draws bargain-seeking shoppers to stores
From right: Valerie and Andy Christofferson look at TVs this morning with the help of sales associate Travis Armbruster at Best Buy in Pittsfield Township.
Angela Cesere | AnnArbor.com
Black Friday shoppers are gaining momentum in Ann Arbor's I-94 corridor, where the Ann Arbor-Saline Road intersection with Oak Valley and Lohr roads is jammed with cars amid a new light snowfall.
Activity around Target, Best Buy and Kohl's is heavy, with crowds even spilling over in the nearby McDonald's drive-thru - where the line snakes all the way to the road.
Meanwhile, activity at Briarwood Mall appeared to be picking up as well by 6 a.m., with the early crowds at the anchor stores - like JCPenney and Macy's tailing off, to be replaced with new shoppers coming from "big box" outlets.
Terry Holman of Ann Arbor looks at different Lego sets for his nieces and nephews at Target on Black Friday.
Angela Cesere | AnnArbor.com
Shoppers were loading carts - and bringing more in from outside - before they were directed to the multiple sites throughout the store where balloons advertised specific lines for merchandise.
Earlier in the morning, Toys R Us in Arborland kicked off Washtenaw County's Black Friday store openings today when the doors opened at midnight, welcoming a line of shoppers that stretched from its doors at the far east end of the mall to a spot just shy of Hiller's Market at the west end.
It was a mild opening, given the season: 34 degrees, no snow, and no shoving, though a few warnings of "step back" could be heard as the line started moving toward the just-opened doors.
Read AnnArbor.com's local Black Friday stories here:
Associated Press: Shoppers pack U.S. stores as holiday season revs up
Scenes from Ann Arbor shopping centers before dawn on Black Friday
Walmart keeps doors open 24 hours as shoppers gather for 5 a.m. sales
Toys R Us kicks off Ann Arbor's Black Friday shopping at midnight
Consumerism silently suffers as Black Friday dawns
Black Friday accident: Icy roads slow traffic near Ann Arbor shopping epicenter
'My family dragged me': a Black Friday tradition
Ann Arbor's Black Friday bargain seekers quickly hunt down deals
Black Friday shopping craze stuns first-timers
Meijer's Black Friday rules: 'No holding places'
University of Michigan economist George Fulton: Black Friday shoppers 'more cautious'
Need to replace 800 DVDs? Black Friday to the rescue
'Deeper discounts' good for shoppers in short run, but poor retail season forecast
Comments
15crown00
Sat, Nov 28, 2009 : 2:01 p.m.
it was a great Black Friday.My computer was flawless.DID NOT LEAVE THE HOUSE.Shopng is almost done.Crowds and aggravation?Who needs it?
Paula Gardner
Sat, Nov 28, 2009 : 9:29 a.m.
Black Friday is obviously dominated by the big boxes, but part of AnnArbor.com's "Holiday '09" shopping coverage mission is to highlight how local retailers are approaching the holiday. Examples are the story posted today on Treasure Mart and recent stories on the downtown atmosphere on Black Friday, "green" gifts found in Ann Arbor and "Seasonal Strategies" looks at businesses like Bivouac, Mudpuddles, Van Boven. More coverage coming Sunday looks at online strategies at local stores, and how they fit into the Cyber Monday trend. We've also got many local shopping events included in our new online events calendar (check out the blue box at the top of every page).
AANative
Sat, Nov 28, 2009 : 8:49 a.m.
Shop locally owned stores. Support your community residents, keep your holiday spending dollars in Ann Arbor. I buy gift certificates so my family can pick out what they want and know they're supporting local business. Happy holiday's to you all.
TownieMom68
Fri, Nov 27, 2009 : 6:42 p.m.
Let's not forget the Sunday Artisans Market, the Potter's Guild sale, and numerous small sales being put on by artists collectives, church groups, etc. Just check the Ann Arbor Observer for listings or ask at the A2Art Center, Clay Gallery, or other local galleries. Heavenly Metal has great gift ideas and Peaceable Kingdom has the very best stocking stuffers. Personally, I would rather have one beautiful, good quality item by a local artist than a cart load of "stuff" from a commercial store. Who needs it!
Paula Gardner
Fri, Nov 27, 2009 : 8:48 a.m.
My family is big on cordless toys - and I've scoped some items out at Mudpuddles, as well as Playmobil at both Tree Town Toys and Learning Express. Mudpuddles is participating in the downtown Midnight Madness sale next Friday night, along with many other downtown stores.