Journalstar

Black Friday at Lincoln's shopping malls were void of the early-morning rush this year

A.Davis3 months ago

Times appear to have changed. Or technology has created a world where holiday shopping can be done from the convenience of home.

Perhaps the Huskers' hijacking of Black Friday in recent years with their annual late-morning gridiron tilt against Iowa has stolen much of the attention.

Or maybe — and this isn't crazy — 23 degrees, the first brutally cold day of the season, is just too cold to get up early to go shopping, especially at SouthPointe Pavilions, south Lincoln's outdoor shopping mall.

Whatever the reason, the early Friday morning pilgrimages to the shopping malls — when police officers had to direct traffic on O Street and finding a parking place at Gateway Mall was like hitting the lottery — felt this year to be mere memories of a bygone era.

The stories of packing away the Thanksgiving leftovers shortly before getting in line outside the big-box stores to camp out — to be first in line for the huge discounts being promised — have been treated by many as badges of honor.

But are they a thing of the past when those same discounts are available with just a few keystrokes?

Maybe.

Make no mistake, there are still the Black Friday regulars, the ones that consider braving the early-morning cold (and crowds) the price they're willing to pay for the bragging rights that come with a good bargain.

After all, the only thing better than a good deal is commiserating with cohorts about the details behind that bargain.

On Friday, those people stood out. Some wore matching sweatshirts or Christmas sweaters. Others donned Christmas-themed pajamas for their annual trek.

"This is what we do every year," said Lauren Simpson of Lincoln, who lugged a number of bags from the stores she and her group had already hit. "We love this."

For them, Black Friday will always be special — a date to circle on the calendar and an etched-in-stone tradition.

But those people, once the norm, might be the exception.

"It's not the same," said Treveon Phinney, owner of 402 Fades, situated next to JC Penney on the east end of Gateway Mall, remembering the way things used to be not so long ago.

Phinney never expected to garner any more business than usual at his 10-chair barber shop. A Black Friday haircut is about as logical as, well, a barber shop inside a shopping mall, but he did open his doors at 7 a.m. — just in case.

As he cut the hair of Carter Nelson, an Ainsworth High School senior who is considered the top football player in the state — he has already committed to Nebraska ahead of the likes of Georgia and Notre Dame, among others — Phinney told stories about Black Friday and growing up in Grand Island.

His memories didn't jibe with the inactivity outside his shop. The foot traffic was light and several stores were still closed long after the second cup of coffee was gone.

JC Penney did open its doors at 5 a.m. Workers there said there were a few dozen people waiting in the cold for the lights to come on.

But by 8:30 a.m., the early-morning rush had given way to a smattering of shoppers.

"I thought there would be more than this," said one worker from behind the jewelry counter.

At SouthPointe Pavilions, the foot traffic inside Scheels and Old Navy was as brisk as ever. And the line to get inside Lululemon, which didn't open until 9 a.m., stretched to nearly 100 people.