Get ready to shop! Malls offer extended hours, early bird deals

Make sure you get a good night's sleep.

If you're a die-hard shopper hoping to snag some good deals on Black Friday, you might not be sleeping at all come Turkey Day.

Malls and stores throughout the Fox Valley are opening their doors early for the annual shopping day.

And when I say early, I mean early.

The first to welcome the hordes of bargain shoppers will be Prime Outlets Huntley, where stores will open their doors at midnight.

But don't think you can sleep until midnight, though you will need to have your pajamas on if you plan to get the best deals at this mall.

Even though it's an outdoor mall and it's the end of November, you can expect to see shoppers lining up by at least 10 p.m., if not earlier, the mall's marketing manager Stephanie Henninger said.

The first 500 people in line at guest services in their PJs will get a free gift bag, with special edition Jockey sleepwear inside. There also will be coupons inside and random gift card giveaways to some of the early birds.

"Last year it was a huge success and people were here by 10, and we didn't have a theme. This year we have even more going on and people are already calling. I can't wait to see what time they line up," Henninger said.

"Dress warm," she advised.

Once you've filled your shopping bags at Prime Outlets, you might want to head to Spring Hill Mall.

But make sure you dress in layers if you'll be moving from outdoor lines to stores inside, advises Karen Blackman of Algonquin, who's a Black Friday veteran.

"Once you get inside these stores and start lugging around all of your deals, you get hot," she said.

For bargain shopping, Spring Hill Mall officially opens at 6 a.m. on Black Friday, along with Algonquin Commons and Charlestowne Mall.

But some of the anchor stores at Spring Hill - JC Penny, Kohl's and Carson's - will open at 4 a.m., with Sears and Macy's opening at 5 a.m. A few smaller stores also will open their doors early that day, the mall's property manager Amy Prew said.

The Kohl's at Charlestowne Mall also will open at 4 a.m.

For the early birds, Spring Hill Mall will be hosting a promotion called Get your Gift On, where shoppers can interact with team members posted throughout the mall for a chance to win prizes such as $5 gift cards, retail sale sheets and special promotions.

To win the prizes, shoppers will partake in fun activities such as singing Christmas carols, taking a quiz on the mall or on holiday movies, and guessing the identity of different characters.

"It's all going to be a lot of fun interaction with the shoppers," Prew said.

For the technically savvy, Spring Hill also will be posting text codes throughout the mall. If you text, you could win a prize, including a netbook computer, Prew said.

There also will be chances to win prizes at Algonquin Commons, and you can bet that people will be lining up early there too.

This is the first year the mall has offered prizes and perks for its early birds, so marketing manager Beth Hicks doesn't know just how early customers will start lining up.

Those who are out early could win some good prizes though, in addition to getting good bargains at the stores.

The first 1,000 people over age 13 in line at Guest Services between Aeropostale and Abercrombie at Algonquin Commons will get tote bags. And in some of those tote bags will be gift cards ranging from $5 to $500.

In addition to snagging deals shopping at Algonquin Commons, shoppers can also spin the Algonquin Commons prize wheel and enter to win a shopping spree by signing up for the mall's e-mail club.

"Come early! It's always an exciting day of shopping and we're always packed. This year we're excited to offer our customers some great incentives for coming early," Hicks said.

Early birds can start shopping at Charlestowne Mall at 6 a.m. Some of the other stores inside the mall may open earlier too, general manager Kathy Kekatos said.

While the mall itself won't have any special promotions going on that day, she said, "they're going to have some fantastic sales on at most of the stores."

Geneva Commons opens 9 a.m. on Black Friday for shopping, with some individual stores opening earlier.

If you can stay awake long enough after a full day of shopping, there will be entertainment and giveaways starting at 4 p.m. that afternoon.

From 4 to 5:30, p.m., there will be a holiday bash near the bell tower, with Radio Disney broadcasting live, and Cheetah Girl concert ticket and gift certificate giveaways.

Santa will arrive at 5:30 p.m., followed by the tree lighting and visits with Santa.

No matter where you go and when, Henninger has some advice for the Black Friday shoppers.

"Be prepared to be on your feet. Wear comfy tennis shoes. Stop and grab snacks to stay energized and plan in advance. Go online, look at coupons and see what stores you want to hit," she said.

"There are some great deals out there. I had a lady last year so excited that she had 40 bags in her car and she said she only spent $250. It's a really fun day for people and you can find the deals. Just have fun."

Black Friday shopping hours

Algonquin Commons

6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

1900 S. Randall Road, Algonquin

Info: www.shopatalgonquincommons.com or (847) 458-2700

Prime Outlets Huntley

Midnight to 10 p.m.

11800 Factory Shops Blvd., Huntley

Info: www.primeoutlets.com/holiday; (847) 669-9100 or (888) 545-7222

Charlestowne Mall

6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with some anchor stores opening at 4 a.m.

Location: Kirk Road and North Avenue, St. Charles

Info: www.charlestownemall.com; (630) 513-1120

Geneva Commons

9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

602 Commons Dr., Geneva, just off of Randall Road

Info: www.shopgenevacommons.com; (630) 262-0044

Spring Hill Mall

6 a.m. to 9 p.m., with some anchor stores opening at 4 a.m. and 5 a.m.

1072 Spring Hill Mall, West Dundee, on Route 31 between Routes 72 and Huntley Road

Info: www.springhillmall.com; (847) 428-2200