Saturday, November 24, 2012
Three local women share thoughts on their shopping experience - in case you decided to skip the mall.
Maybe you decided to skip Black Friday this year. Maybe you chose to hit up a few stores outside the mall instead. In case you were curious what all the hype was about, a few local shoppers have agreed to share their tales with Patch. You can enjoy these stories from the comfort of your own home - no lines needed. Kaitlin Chittenden, 18, from Reston: "My sister and I arrived at Fair Oaks Mall last night at 9:45, thinking it was going to be crazy crowded, but there was no one there. By 10:40, there were just over 50 people waiting outside of the entrance to the mall. When the mall opened at 11, people flooded in from all different entrances. My sister and I went straight for Victoria's Secret and ended up being the first 2 people in line. …
Friday, November 23, 2012
Did you just snag the deal of a century? Did you wake up before dawn? Tell us all about it.
While many in Northern Virginia were still sleeping off Thanksgiving early on Friday morning, Marcie Foster of Vienna was already out of bed, snagging Black Friday deals. At 7:30 a.m., she reported that World Market was running a free movie ticket doorbuster plus a "Life of Pi" ornament. There were still some tickets left at 7:30 a.m. This is Foster's third year participating in Black Friday Shopping. She is ultimately looking to get a Dyson DC33 at Walmart and Christmas decorations at Macy's. "Lots of folks say it's not a good deal anymore, but I think it's a fun family activity," she told Patch. Are you out shopping today? Are the lines terribly long? What are you looking for? Let us know! Upload your photos above this article and leave …
Shoppers line up on Thanksgiving to get an early start for holiday shopping.
Doors opened for Black Friday sales on Thursday for shopperss to get a jump on Black Friday barely before the Thanksgiving leftovers had been put away. Reston's Target and Best Buy has lines around the building when the doors opened at 9 p.m. Eager shoppers at Best Buy bided their time playing soccer in the parking lot and snuggling up in blankets. The first in line at Target had gotten there before sometime 7 p.m. on Thursday, while the first in line at Best Buy said he arrived at 7 p.m on Tuesday in hopes of scoring a bargain on a new TV.
38.961236
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Best Buy
1861 Fountain Dr, Reston, VA
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38.954527
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Target Stores
12197 Sunset Hills Rd, Reston, VA
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395020
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A new study by ShopAdvisor shows there were very good deals on toys in 2011 on days other than Black Friday.
It's the day after Thanksgiving and Black Friday deals are there for shoppers to get a good head start on holiday shopping. But are they getting the best deal? ShopAdvisor, a website that connects consumers with the best prices on proucts they want to buyi, finds Black Friday sales are not the best of the holiday shopping season. "Our experience tracking more than a hundred million products shows that although Black Friday may be a good day for shopping, there are 'blacker' days to be found during the holiday shopping season," says Scott Cooper, CEO of ShopAdvisor. According to the ShopAdvisor study: ShopAdvisor suggests holiday shoppers, "watch for sudden price drops and avoid price spikes that often last only a day or two before …
Police officers will deploy in an effort to prevent shoplifting and other crimes; safety tips for shopping during Black Friday.
It’s that time of year again. Consumers are busting down the doors of retail stores everywhere. Unfortunately, the holiday season is the perfect time for criminals to be on the lookout for freebies. People are indulging in holiday shopping, and it’s not uncommon for the crime rate to increase throughout the season. In preparation for the increase in shoppers and crime in the Northern Virginia area, the Fairfax County Police Department will send out their Retail Anti-Theft teams. “Every holiday season, FCPD deploys our Retail Anti-Theft teams,” said Lucy Caldwell, public information officer for the department. “These are officers who are assigned specifically to malls and retail outlets throughout our county. Some of these officers are …
Thursday, November 22, 2012
A few tips on beating the traffic while holiday shopping during Black Friday weekend.
This year, about 147 million people plan to go shopping during Black Friday weekend, according to a recent National Retail Federation survey. That is down from last year’s 152 million who planned to shop during the same weekend. NRF’s survey shows that 71 million said they would shop and another 76 million said they would wait and see what retailers have ito offer that weekend. “Though the Black Friday tradition is here to stay, there’s no question that it has changed in recent years; already there is a tremendous amount of excitement and anticipation surrounding retailers’ Thanksgiving and Black Friday promotions,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. With that said, shopaholics everywhere are gearing up for a weekend marathon of …
Thursday, November 15, 2012
We want a Patch Street Team to take us along on the busiest shopping day of the year
This coming Black Friday, we want all the die-hard Black Friday shoppers to take us with them as they hit the streets (or the mall). Where are you headed? Is it Target or Tysons Corner Center? What are you looking for? A new iPad? Diamond earrings? What was your best find? A cool barbecue grill? We'll outfit you with some Patch swag - including a renewable canvas shopping bag and a Patch water bottle - and a gift card to help caffeinate your morning. In exchange, we'll ask for: There are a limited number of team spots available. To apply, email the following information to lauren.sausser at patch.com
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Target, Kmart and other big-box stores push holiday sales back to Thanksgiving Day. Is that too early to start holiday shopping?
If you have a black belt in Black Friday shopping, listen up: Area big-box retailers are gearing up to dazzle bargain hunters even earlier this year—starting Thanksgiving Day, right after you put away the pumpkin pie. Walmart, Target and Kmart are planning all-out holiday shopping assaults. Why doze off in a turkey slump watching football when you can be out taking care of holiday shopping business? Walmart will offer, beginning at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22, holiday gifts for the entire family, while supplies last. That includes an electric scooter for $79, a steam mop for $39 or men's jeans for $9.50. (Why do Mom and Dad always get the boring presents?) Target's deals begin an hour later, at 9 p.m. According to an ad leaked …
Friday, November 25, 2011
"Black Friday" creeping into Thanksgiving Thursday. Will you take part?
Ah, the traditions of Thanksgiving past. You know, like lining up when stores open at 5 a.m. the day after the holiday. Not so, anymore. Black Friday begins on Thursday now. Walmart is open all day, with Black Friday deals starting at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Best Buy, Target and Kohls open at midnight Friday. The stores at Reston Town Center will open at 8 a.m. Friday. The National Retail Federation says 152 million people plan to shop Black Friday weekend, up from 138 million who said they planned to last year. Meanwhile, more than 190,000 have signed a Target worker's petition to protest opening the store barely after the Turkey Day leftovers have been stored. More Black Friday backlash - there has been an Occupy Black Friday movement, …
Ken Fredgren
4:28 pm on Monday, November 12, 2012
Greed supplants family time for giving thanks at home. How awful. more ›