Mobbing door-buster sales with the rest of the nation on late Thursday and early Friday, many North Idahoans scored deals on jewelry, clothes and electronics.īut first they had to suffer for it, enduring rain, wind and unhappy driving conditions. So in case folks were wondering, earlier hours doesn't mean less crazy. People try to take things out of your cart. 'If you're smart, don't do it,' Bickle said. Meaning aggressive Black Friday shoppers. 'I feel bad for the employees ripped away from their families on Thanksgiving to put up with people like me,' she said. The Hayden woman was not seduced by the midnight openings, she said, which she deems a portent that Black Friday will soon become Black Thursday. 'One year, we saved about $400,' Gould said with a grin.Īrmed with a legal pad listing the big deals, Jennifer Bickle arrived at Shopko three hours early, making her a shoe-in to save on clothes for her kids. sale.Ī worthy sacrifice, she said, to afford Christmas gifts for a family of seven. The Bayview resident and her family skipped sleep to drive to Shopko and line up two hours before the 12 a.m. It gives me time to go to other places opening later.' 'It shocked me at first,' said Rena Gould of stores backing up sale times.

Only replace the champagne with hot cocoa and granola bars, the lists of resolutions with tallies of discounted electronics, and the gleaming ball with neon retail lights.īut the energy of the crowd near midnight? The same.Īs Thursday's hours waned, hundreds lined up like human barricades outside major retail outlets in Coeur d'Alene, prepared to stampede toward Black Friday sales at the now prevalent midnight openings. to ensure they get to the limited quantity sale items when the doors opened at 5 a.m.ĬOEUR d'ALENE - It was kind of like waiting for the ball to drop in Times Square. About 40 Black Friday customers stand outside of Fred Meyer at 4:30 a.m.

Early hird late bird kohls