Black Friday remains a tradition of camaraderie and credit cards
Courtesy of Brittany Gagliani Mears
Linda Gagliani, right, of Avella, shares a fireside chat and Black Friday wardrobes with, from left: sister-in-law Heidi Meyers of Washington, and daughters Brittany Gagliani Mears (West Newton) and Heather Curtis (Nashville, Tenn.).
Courtesy Molly Lamp
Dylan and Molly Lamp posed outside a Toys R Us store last year, after the chain they had long patronized closed.
Terri Cartier goes for the java, and should. What better for a 3 a.m. wake-up?
“We’re out the door at 3, and it’s off to Sheetz for coffee first,” said the Carmichaels resident. “We’ll be out all day.”
Linda Gagliani of Avella and her gang of three refuse to depart on Thanksgiving night – barely. “We leave at 12:01 (a.m.),” she said.
Spouses Molly and Dylan Lamp of Richeyville head out on the holiday, but usually an hour or two before midnight.
“We stay out all night and go to 9 or 10,” Molly said.
Black Friday has gotten a black eye in recent years. For more than a decade, it was a manic retail-fest of overzealous consumers, crowding together in the dark waiting for stores to open, then stampeding past the doors to secure that perfect gift. That has tempered for the most part, yet it is still a busy day at the stores – for patrons, retailers, employees and husbands forlornly seated at benches.
The rise of year-round deals and online shopping, however, have yielded the perception that shopping the day after Thanksgiving has lost its zip. Maybe a little, but …
According to accounts rendered by several regional residents, and top officials at two Washington-area retail destinations, the decline of Black Friday may be mere perception. Shoppers go out every year, in a closely knit group, and revel in their camaraderie and the bags they gleefully lug. And while they did not cite people traffic numbers, general managers Civil Knox of Washington Crown Center and Nicole Baculik of Tanger Outlets said Black Friday is as good as gold to their establishments.
“We do well. We look forward to another great year,” said Knox, whose North Franklin Township mall is in its 50th year of operation. Crown Center will be closed Thursday, and operate from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Black Friday.
“We’re pleased with Black Friday,” said Baculik, whose South Strabane Township complex will open at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving and stay open through 10 p.m. Friday. Holiday hours – 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. – will begin Saturday and run through Christmas.
“Shoppers are not only looking for the best deal, they enjoy the experience,” she added. “They still like the hustle and bustle. It’s tradition.”
Black Friday certainly is that for Gagliani and her crew. For about 15 years, Linda has traversed the retail scene on this day with her daughters – Brittany Gagliani Mears of West Newton and Heather Curtis of Nashville – and sister-in-law Heidi Meyers of Washington.
“Typically, we don’t dress alike, but Black Friday we do,” Mears said. “People identify us by our matching clothing (which has, at various times, included vests, turtlenecks or T-shirts). It’s a fun day for the girls to hang out.”
They hang out across the tri-state on this day.
“We cover everything from (Ohio Valley) Mall (in St. Clairsville) to The Highlands (Triadelphia, W.Va.) to Crown Center, then hit the outlets (Tanger). If we’re feeling good, we’ll jump to Robinson (Town Center).”
Linda, the family matriarch, still enjoys the Black Friday experience – with slight reservations.
“With malls going the way they’re going and online shopping, it’s not the same. But we have a good time. We’re not pushing and shoving.”
Terri Cartier likewise has shared a Black Friday tradition for many years with a small group, which all don similar outfits.
“I made these red hoodies at least 10 years ago that read ‘Black Friday Shopper’ and which I decorated with snowflakes and sparkly glitter,” she said.
Cartier will again head out with her sister, Wanda Boggs New Salem, and sister-in-law, Kara Piper of Carmichaels. Terri estimates that they’ve been doing this for about 20 years, and said they plot strategy following Thanksgiving dinner, after perusing newspaper ads.
“We know when to go, where to go and what we’re going to get.”
Black Friday also is a tradition with the Lamps, but an element of their routine changed dramatically in 2018. Dylan and Molly – parents of three, ages 2 to 11 – used to line up outside the South Strabane Toys R Us, waiting for it to open. The long-beloved toy chain shut down more than a year and a half ago. In a mirthful salute, the couple stood outside that location on Black Friday a year ago and took a selfie under the corporate sign.
“We could finally say, ‘We are first in line in Toys R Us,'” Molly said, laughing.
She said they “scour ads on Thanksgiving morning,” then set up a shopping itinerary, typically established around Washington.
“We always start at Tanger,” Molly said. “It depends on who has what sales, but we’ll go to Target and Walmart and hit Kohl’s at a slow time. Sometimes, after we get some rest, we’ll go to South Hills Village or Robinson. It depends on whether we’re tired or want to get anything else.”
Molly said her mother “is a big proponent of Cyber Monday deals,” but she remains a Black Friday devotee. “I do like to physically see stuff. It’s almost a competitive nature within me, a matter of ‘I went out and got the deal.'”
Competition – another element of the Black Friday tradition.