Thanksgiving Shoppers Line Up for Black Friday Deals

And for others they say they’re avoiding the long lines and headache that goes into black Friday and rather research the best deals, avoid the busy times, and arm themselves with the right apps.

She may not have been first in line, but her efforts aren’t for nothing.

At Metrotown in Burnaby, they were lined up outside the mall as early as 2 a.m., hours before the mall opened to allow them to queue outside their favourite stores.

She and her friend went straight for a customer service desk to get a wristband, giving them even more of a discount than what’s overall offered in stores. Shares of Best Buy plunged as much as 9% on November 19 as investors reacted to several negatives. However, most stores waited until the actual Black Friday to kick off the holiday shopping sales, which include H&M, T.J Maxx, Staples, Barnes & Noble, GameStop, Bed Bath & Beyond and Babies “R’ Us”. The result, at least initially, raised fears of how the company would fare during the ultra competitive holiday season.

Best Buy shares fell 1.5% in trading on Friday. TheStreet even observed one store even using policemen mounted on horses to help control the crowds.

“So, I don’t mind Black Friday”, says Pinto. Instead, people were queued into lines that snaked around the stores.

The practice has already become a kind of tradition for Thanksgiving. Down the road at Best Buy, some people stood in line for more than 10 hours waiting for doorbuster deals.

Consumers did buy a ton of stuff.

But not every store opened its doors on Thanksgiving. The Kohls store at Austin Landing had a steady stream of shoppers leaving the store with shopping bags and flat-screen TVs. Headphones were also being purchased consistently, as were tablets and related accessories.