Black Friday changes, but suburban shopping traditions remain
Every Black Friday for the past 35 years, over a dozen women from the Drolet-Mullaney family do their routine.
They meet at 8 a.m. in the Macy's shoe department in Oakbrook Center. Shop. Lunch. Shop some more. Take a coffee/candy break. More shopping. And then they end the day with dinner at Portillo's, where they linger for hours, telling funny family stories.
"It's not about the sale or getting the deal. It's about being together. I think that's why the tradition has stayed," said Renee Drolet-Mullaney of Cary, whose shopping group includes her 90-year-old mother and teenage nieces.
As Black Friday has evolved over the years, the focus has shifted toward fun more than finds. It's no longer the one day when shoppers find the best bargains. Yet it remains a cherished day-after-Thanksgiving tradition for many suburban families.
Years ago, stores opened "early" at 9 a.m. on Black Friday and passed out free coffee or little gift bags. As the crowds grew, stores became more competitive and started opening in the middle of the night. Now, many open on Thanksgiving Day.
"Doorbuster" prices are still offered on Black Friday, particularly on toys and electronics, but most stores started their Black Friday sales weeks ago. They offer the same prices online, making it unnecessary to even leave the house.
That's why Black Friday's not the busiest shopping day of the year anymore - it's Dec. 23, two days before Christmas, according to RetailNext, a retail shopping tracking firm.
Make no mistake, though: Suburban shoppers are going to pack malls and stores as soon as they're finished with their Thanksgiving dinners. Spending is expected to rise this year, and the average consumer will spend $936, according to a National Retail Federation survey.
Black Friday pros like Tina Bergbauer of Bartlett have highly organized systems to find the items they want at the best possible prices. Bergbauer has spent weeks researching the sales ads and plotting her shopping strategy.
"I may not get the best deals, but I absolutely love the whole process," she said. "I see it as a complete challenge. The adrenaline starts flowing."
While her family sleeps, Bergbauer, the mother of two teens, shops by herself in the predawn hours every year at the businesses along Randall Road and in South Elgin.
"I don't want anyone slowing me down," she said, laughing. "I like to go from store to store. For me, it's all about quickness."
She packs a bag with water, a snack, the ads, pens and her all-important spiral notebook, which contains her notes on ads, page numbers and prices. Some of it's marked with highlighters. That helps if price matching is needed.
Bergbauer knows many tricks for efficient shopping so she doesn't have to wait in long lines or fight over items with other customers (although, she says "real Black Friday shoppers" don't fight and are nice people).
At Meijer, for example, the sale prices might not start until 6 a.m. But if you pre-shop at 5 a.m., you can be in line exactly at 6 a.m., when the cash register's scanners recognize the sale prices.
When Bergbauer's done shopping, she heads home while watching the sun rise and listening to Christmas music. "I love it," she said. "I've never been disappointed."
Back in the Drolet-Mullaney house, the women come home around midnight with their purchases to find the men in the family still playing cards and watching TV.
"It's just a really fun family time," said Renee Drolet-Mullaney. "We all secretly look forward to the day after Thanksgiving more than Thanksgiving."