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GPS provider "Tom Tom" recently did a list of the most congested Black Friday Malls in the country. NJ did make the list; lucky you, Raleigh did not.
Southpoint is in Durham
Quote:
1) Get there before the stores open.
I disagree (unless you are specifically going after "doorbusters" sales that will be gone in 3 minutes).
I used to work in/manage retail stores in local malls and here was my observation about The Day After Thanksgiving (never heard it called "Black Friday" until about 10 years ago): The whole "excitement" about this day are the "early bird" sales. Unless she is interested in something you are worried about selling out, my advice is: go LATE in the day. Most of the "doorbusters" people will go home after lunch, and it will be busy in the afternoon but not that much busier than a usual holiday shopping day. But once it gets dark, I recall many such Fridays where it was almost dead in the store because everyone had come to do their shopping in the morning and left.
If you just want to "do some shopping" without "OMG OMG OMG SALE SALE SALE!!!", head out about 4 PM.
The parking at SouthPoint and even Crabtree has never been a problem for me on black Friday...although I'm not someone that minds parking a little further away. Southpoint mall has a lot of open parking and Crabtree has more parking deck parking.
I'd go later in the day...after dinner. Mall gets quiet after all those crazy morning people go home so that they can get to bed by 9 PM!!!
The thing about Southpoint is you have several restaurants like California Pizza Kitchen, Fire Birds, Champs, Cheesecake Factory etc that are going to attract the dinner crowd. No one wants to cook the day after thanksgiving. So while the mall itself might be less busy (???) parking and the parking lot are still a nightmare. And then of course there is the movie theater, which will be busy... thus taking up parking spaces. I only suggested getting there prior to opening to easily find a parking space.
The thing about Southpoint is you have several restaurants like California Pizza Kitchen, Fire Birds, Champs, Cheesecake Factory etc that are going to attract the dinner crowd. No one wants to cook the day after thanksgiving. So while the mall itself might be less busy (???) parking and the parking lot are still a nightmare. And then of course there is the movie theater, which will be busy... thus taking up parking spaces. I only suggested getting there prior to opening to easily find a parking space.
NRG, good luck!
Last year we arrived at 6pm and saw several spots - time wise no different than any other day driving around and getting to a spot. Yes around the restaurants and the theater were congested but at the mall I saw plenty of spaces. The year before we went a little earlier in the afternoon around 3pm and had no trouble finding a spot at that time either.
Normally I avoid the malls on Black Friday but I really need some new bedsheets so I might find myself out there Hopefully my ninja Crabtree entrance still isn't used by many people!
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Francois
I used to work in/manage retail stores in local malls and here was my observation about The Day After Thanksgiving (never heard it called "Black Friday" until about 10 years ago)
I read this line of yours with surprise because to me this was a common term used since my childhood. (I am 44). This led me to look it up on Wiki, and it turns out the phrase was coined in Philadelphia in 1966. I was born in Philadelphia in 1967, so that's why it wasn't new to me! I had no idea this was a local phrase all those years.
I was always told it was called Black Friday because it was the day the retailers' financial books went from being "in the red" to being "in the black." But the Wiki article says it was most likely based on the bad traffic in Phila. on the day after Thanksgiving. Although, they do give my theory as an alternative explanation.
Well, you all convinced me. We decided we don't need anything that badly and aren't really interested in the "doorbusters" anyway so we are keeping away from the Malls today. I slept in late, went to the gym, and now will enjoy the beautiful weather. Much better than searching for parking and fighting the crowds at the stores. Bah Humbug Black Friday!
I read this line of yours with surprise because to me this was a common term used since my childhood. (I am 44). This led me to look it up on Wiki, and it turns out the phrase was coined in Philadelphia in 1966. I was born in Philadelphia in 1967, so that's why it wasn't new to me! I had no idea this was a local phrase all those years.
I was always told it was called Black Friday because it was the day the retailers' financial books went from being "in the red" to being "in the black." But the Wiki article says it was most likely based on the bad traffic in Phila. on the day after Thanksgiving. Although, they do give my theory as an alternative explanation.
Sorry for the sidetrack. Back to Southpoint Mall...
I'm the same age as you and I remember it too from when I was a kid!
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Hopefully my ninja Crabtree entrance still isn't used by many people!
