Black Friday experience different

Warren Dillaway, Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio
·2 min read

Nov. 25—A small group of customers slowly left the warmth of their cars just before 6 a.m. on Friday and walked to the front door of Home Depot in Ashtabula Township.

The pace of the Black Friday shopping experience has slowed significantly in the last decade, but there are still bargain shoppers that look for an excuse to get out of bed early and shop until they drop.

"I am getting my boyfriend a ladder that he has been wanting," said Emily Stower, of Jefferson, while waitin to enter Home Depot.

Stower's mother, Tracy Stower, also of Jefferson, said the pace of Black Friday shopping has definitely changed over the years.

"It's just different," she said.

Gideon and Cindy Morrison arrived early at Walmart to get into the store for some special bargains.

"I was in line at 4:55 a.m.," said Gideon, who lives in Ashtabula.

He said people behaved themselves well.

"I got my PlayStation," he said.

Cindy Morrison said she misses the old days with longer lines and earlier start time.

"I kind of like the rush," she said.

An Ashtabula Towne Square customer, who identified himself only as Glen, said there was a line of 50 to 100 meters long to get into the mall at 6 a.m.

Many of them had their "sites" on Garretts Gun Store inside ATS. At least 20 people were inside the store at 6:20 a.m.

"It wasn't too bad, everybody was cordial," Glen said.

Kathy Cooper, of Concord Township, said her Black Friday experience started about 20 years ago when she and her mother made a bet on who would get up early enough to go shopping on Black Friday.

The pair both made the wake-up call and shopped for many years. Cooper said she is training her niece Kirsten Copeland to continue the tradition.

"it is different now ... but it is still fun," Cooper said.

Debi Rosati Mead, owner of Christmas World in Saybrook Township for the last 38 years, said business is still good but not as good as it used to be.

Rosati said business was steady starting at 11 a.m. when the store opened on Friday.

"it has been steady but not crazy," she said.