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 of West Newton and Heather Curtis of Nashville.
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?
鈥淲e鈥檙e out the door at 3, and it鈥檚 off to Sheetz for coffee first,鈥� said the Carmichaels resident. 鈥淲e鈥檒l be out all day.鈥�
Linda Gagliani of Avella and her gang of three refuse to depart on Thanksgiving night 鈥� barely. 鈥淲e leave at 12:01 (a.m.),鈥� she said.
Spouses Molly and Dylan Lamp of Richeyville head out on the holiday, but usually an hour or two before midnight.
鈥淲e stay out all night and go to 9 or 10,鈥� 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 鈥� for patrons, retailers, employees and husbands forlornly seated at benches.
For many, like Gagliani, Black Friday shopping remains a tradition.
For about 15 years, Linda has traversed the retail scene on this day with her daughters 鈥� Brittany Gagliani Mears of West Newton and Heather Curtis of Nashville 鈥� and sister-in-law Heidi Meyers of Washington.
鈥淭ypically, we don鈥檛 dress alike, but Black Friday we do,鈥� Mears said. 鈥淧eople identify us by our matching clothing (which has, at various times, included vests, turtlenecks or T-shirts). It鈥檚 a fun day for the girls to hang out.鈥�
They hang out across the tri-state on this day.
鈥淲e cover everything from (Ohio Valley) Mall (in St. Clairsville) to The Highlands (Triadelphia, West Virginia) to Crown Center, then hit the outlets (Tanger). If we鈥檙e feeling good, we鈥檒l jump to Robinson (Town Center).鈥�
Linda, the family matriarch, still enjoys the Black Friday experience 鈥� with slight reservations.
鈥淲ith malls going the way they鈥檙e going and online shopping, it鈥檚 not the same. But we have a good time. We鈥檙e not pushing and shoving.鈥�
Cartier likewise has shared a Black Friday tradition for many years with a small group, which all don similar outfits.
鈥淚 made these red hoodies at least 10 years ago that read 鈥楤lack Friday Shopper鈥� and which I decorated with snowflakes and sparkly glitter,鈥� 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鈥檝e been doing this for about 20 years, and said they plot strategy following Thanksgiving dinner, after perusing newspaper ads.
鈥淲e know when to go, where to go and what we鈥檙e going to get.鈥�
Black Friday also is a tradition with the Lamps, but an element of their routine changed dramatically in 2018. Dylan and Molly 鈥� parents of three, ages 2 to 11 鈥� used to line up outside 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.
鈥淲e could finally say, 鈥榃e are first in line in Toys R Us,'鈥� Molly said, laughing.
She said they 鈥渟cour ads on Thanksgiving morning,鈥� then set up a shopping itinerary, based on who has what on sale.
Molly said her mother 鈥渋s a big proponent of Cyber Monday deals,鈥� but she remains a Black Friday devotee. 鈥淚 do like to physically see stuff. It鈥檚 almost a competitive nature within me, a matter of 鈥業 went out and got the deal.'鈥�
Competition 鈥� yet one more element of the Black Friday tradition.