Black Friday shopping less about deals than ‘time with family’
What fathers do for daughters.
Getting up at the crack of dawn on Black Friday to chauffeur them and their friends to Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg. Then sitting on a bench, a planter and even sometimes the floor, watching bags and waiting patiently for their offspring’s return from various stores.
Such was the day for Anup Parmar of West Chicago.
“I am the driver. And the keeper,” he said, gesturing to several bags he was watching for his 14-year-old daughter and her friends.
Why Woodfield, when there are other malls closer to where he lives?
“My daughter is picky about her stores,” he said. Plus, he is familiar with the area because he works in Schaumburg.
He didn’t mind the trek. “I work hard for her,” he said. “We should be able to spend time with family.”
Juan Gonzalez of Chicago roped his friend, Charlie Cummins of Round Lake Beach, into going to his first Black Friday at the mall.
“He told me ‘You’ve got to come, otherwise we’re not friends anymore,’” Cummins said with a laugh. They were in the food court at 11 a.m., about to enjoy some Philly cheesesteaks with their friend, Jimmy Anisi of Nashville, Anisi’s daughter, Maddie, and Gonzalez’ daughter, Bella.
Gonzalez said he’s been coming to Woodfield for Black Friday for 15 years. He bought a Chicago Bears baseball cap for himself, and watched a couple of shopping bags for Bella while she got the food.
There was a long line, as usual, to get into the Lego store. Lines also formed outside Garage and Pac-Sun.
Leah Semel and Sylvia Bauer, two teens from Glencoe, made the trip together Friday morning.
“It’s really big. It’s a good mall,” Semel said. They admitted they were shopping for themselves, with stops at fashion stores Pac-Sun and Aerie and makeup emporium Sephora.
Melissa Svihra of South Elgin shopped with her two teenage daughters, although they often split up, with one watching shopping bags while the others stood in a line. They arrived at 6 a.m. and left around 1:15 p.m.
“It was actually pretty good,” she said, adding that the crowd seemed to grow as the day went on. “Now it’s getting really congested and hard to walk in the stores.”
Svihra and her husband grew up in Schaumburg, so they are familiar with the mall. Whenever they shop, “We might as well go to Woodfield, because that’s where everything is.”