Black Friday sales 'brisk' throughout the area

An early-morning snow shower did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of many local consumers on Black Friday as the holiday shopping season kicked off throughout the area.

Many people got up before sunrise to take advantage of many Black Friday specials offered by retailers when they opened their doors in the wee hours of the morning. Reports from various outlets indicated that customer traffic ranged from "brisk" to "outstanding," with many stores reporting that the Black Friday crowds were equal to or better than the previous year.

The Valley

The Wal-Mart parking lot in Sayre was filled to capacity as of 5 a.m. on Friday, with vehicles spilling over into adjacent lots on other properties. The store was the first one open in the area, due to a corporate policy of keeping the Wal-Mart stores open 24-hours a day, seven days a week. However, the store's official Black Friday sales for many hot-ticket items did not begin until 5 a.m. Shortly after that time, long lines of shoppers were spotted at cash registers in the store, as they took advantage of the traditional Black Friday sales.

Dolores Allen of Waverly, who was seen heading for her vehicle with a shopping cart full of purchases shortly after 5 a.m., said that she was able to purchase everything she needed at the sale - including Christmas presents as well as items for home use.

"It was great being able to purchase a microwave for $18," she said of the sale.

Other customers were also seen pushing full carts to their vehicles, even before the sun was up.

"I came here for one thing in particular," explained Brenda Ferguson of Wyalusing, who explained that she was shopping for a Christmas present for her son.

Concerning the Black Friday crowd, Heidi De Jesus, sales manager at the Wal-Mart in Sayre, said that everything was excellent, with customers all cooperating with the sales staff.

"The crowd is bigger than last year," De Jesus explained. "We had no shopping carts in the parking lot. They're all in here," she said concerning the amount of people who showed up to take advantage of the sale.

The fact the store was open before the sale began was very helpful to customers, De Jesus explained.

"It allowed people to shop around a little bit, before the sales," the manager said. "It allowed them to walk around and do some research. I think it really helped."

Although the parking lot at the Sayre Kmart was not as full on Black Friday, the customers who arrived to take advantage of its sales were no less enthusiastic. Many were lined up and waiting when the store opened its doors at 6 a.m.

"I like the thrill of the chase," said Greg Gross of Ulster, who, along with his wife Monica, were waiting in line right before Kmart opened it's doors. He said this is the third year in a row they've been out early Black Friday morning, and this year they're looking for toys and other items for their children.

Also in line was Doniell Park of Litchfield with her mother, Ida Feruson of Scranton. Park said she was interested in purchasing a notebook computer for her daughter that was being offered as a Black Friday special.

The Black Friday bonanza was not limited strictly to retail outlets. Paul Krewson, store manager of Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse of Sayre, said business had been phenomenal since they opened at 6 a.m., an hour earlier than the store's traditional opening time.

"They were lined up three-quarters of the way into the parking lot," Krewson explained about the crowd of people waiting when the store opened. "Everything's been super. We've had bargains galore all over the store."

Darlene Wampole, store manager at the Fashion Bug in Sayre, said that things had been going pretty good since they opened at 7 a.m.

"We had people at the front door when we opened," she said.

Central Bradford

In the middle section of Bradford County, Black Friday crowds mirrored what was occurring in the Valley.

"Things are better than last year, surprisingly," said Charles Kovacs, manager of County Office Supply in Wysox. "This year, we have more customers coming in and buying more products. Our big seller has been a small toy helicopter."

Sylvia Power, manger of J.C. Penney in Wysox, said things have been going very well since they opened at 4 a.m.

"We have everything throughout all sections of the store," she explained. "We have a lot of gift ideas, along with a lot of good door buster buys."

At the Wysox Kmart, store manager Ron Vaillancourt said that business had been very good since they opened at 6 a.m. In addition, he said, the store was also open on Thanksgiving from 7 to 9 p.m., and they had a good response on the holiday as well.

"We had 150 people here this morning," Vaillancourt said about how the day started.

The manager explained that the two-day sales combination of Thanksgiving and Black Friday gave them a better turnout over last year. He also said that October and November have been strong for them, and estimated that holiday sales will be strong this year as a result.

Further down the road on U.S. Route 6, the Sears store started its Black Friday at 4 a.m.

"We had 40 people waiting when we opened," said sales representative Yvonne Sichler. "We never had 40 people on opening day before. Everyone was very pleasant and orderly."

She said that their biggest sellers were front-loading washers and dryers, televisions, and tool boxes.

In downtown Towanda, Marlene Niemiec, owner of Marlene's, said that they had been very, very busy all day long. She said customers have been purchasing a combination of items - some of them Christmas related, and some in other categories.

Jay Cory, manager of Ben Franklin's in Towanda, said Black Friday business has been "outstanding." He estimated that there's been a 10 to 15 percent increase in store traffic compared to last year. Some items popular with customers, he said, include a "Cricut" personal electronic cutter, which allows a person to design different letters and shapes for scrapbooks and signs; Yankee candles, crafts, and Christmas lights.

Western Bradford

Helen Kilmer, manager at the Dollar General in Troy, said the store was very busy on Black Friday.

Compared to previous Black Fridays, it was busier at the Dollar General for this year's Black Friday, because the store offered some Black Friday specials this year and had not done so in past years, said Kilmer, who has worked at the store for seven years. The store also opened an hour earlier and was scheduled to stay open an hour later to attract more customers.

Shelley Walcheski, the store manager at the Coppertree Shop in Troy, said Black Friday business was not down at the store this year, despite the weak national economy.

"We had a good day" with business about the same as on previous Black Fridays at the store, which is a gift shop and an affiliate of Martha Lloyd Community Services, said Walcheski.

Cheri Ritts, owner of Stull's Flowers & Gifts in Canton, said that her store didn't offer Black Friday specials this year. "So our business has been normal, which is very, very busy," she said.

She said she has not noticed a drop-off in sales due to the weak economy nationally.

About three years ago, Stull's stopped offering Black Friday sales, because most people were shopping at the region's malls or large stores on Black Friday. Stull's waits about a week after Black Friday to begin offering Christmas sales, Ritts said.