Nearly three and a half hours before sunrise, there was a line of people waiting outside the JCPenney at Potomac Mills in Woodbridge, Virginia.
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Black Friday is more than just sales for these bargain hunters
Black Friday is the Super Bowl of shopping for bargain hunters.
Nearly three and a half hours before sunrise, there was a line of people waiting outside the JCPenney at Potomac Mills in Woodbridge, Virginia.
Yes, people were looking for deals, but that was not the only reason people stood outside in the cold air, waiting for the store to open at 5 a.m.
“The sales, getting out around the people,” Beverly Newbell, of Dumfries, said. “And the rush.”
Several of the people in line were out-of-towners visiting relatives for Thanksgiving, including Rusty and Bill.
Rusty said this was the first time in the decades of Black Friday shopping that her husband Bill joined her.
Bill said since they were not home in Charlotte, North Carolina, he didn’t want her to shop alone, and he jokingly said he wanted to keep an eye on how much she was buying.
‘The best day of the year’
Those waiting outside JCPenney were excited because they were handing out free snow globes. This tradition dates back many years, and this year’s theme was Snoopy.
Kim and her son Oliver, who live close by the store, were two of the first people to get one.
“It’s Black Friday, it’s the best day of the year,” Kim said.
Oliver, 12, agreed, saying, “It’s really fun.”
Of course, the sales are a big part of Black Friday.
The National Retail Federation predicts nearly 190 million people will shop between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that a lot of people are willing to drive long distances to get a good deal.
Twinel Bradford drove from Waldorf, Maryland, to Woodbridge, Virginia, because The North Face Outlet had a deal she couldn’t pass up.
“It’s 60% off today,” Bradford said. “I’m getting two jackets, one for me and one for my daughter.”
Even though Bradford was waiting in a line that took some an hour and a half to get through.
“Whew, this line is probably a mile long to stretch it all the way out,” Bradford said, laughing.
Once the sun was shining on the cold, windy day, the parking lot at Potomac Mills was packed, and walking toward the mall was a pair of newlyweds from Oregon.
This will be Grace and Zane’s first Christmas as husband and wife, and they may have different priorities when it comes to their idea of the perfect Christmas gift.
While Grace said she’d love for her friends and family to get them gift cards, Zane smiled and said, “Audi R8.”
Zane did acknowledge it would be hard to fit under the tree, but his wife had a solution.
“The keys would fit,” Grace said.
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