The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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  • By John Cross

    Mankato Black Friday

November 27, 2009

Black Friday bright so far

Stores report larger crowds than last year

By Tim Krohn

MANKATO —

Shoppers line up in numbers greater than last year



Mankato stores reported crowds larger than last year as they kicked off the holiday shopping season.

“We had about 500 waiting,” said Brandon Scheel, store manager of Scheel’s in the River Hills Mall. He said lines from the checkout counters at each end of the building merged in the center of the store. “It was double what we had last year.”

The big seller: “The Vikings hooded sweatshirts ($14.99, regularly $50). We had 150 of them, we sold out in about five minutes.” Also hot were GPS systems, wool socks, two-way radios, headlamps, “And long underwear did great.”

The crowds were well behaved, and honest, Scheel said. “We’ve caught 180 shoplifters this year; we didn’t have any this morning.”

Tony Faith got up at 3:45 a.m. to leave St. James and head to Target and Radio Shack, where his son’s girlfriend was looking for electronics. “I woke my son up and he said, ‘no, that’s fine’ you just go,” said Faith, who was carrying the bags as his son’s girlfriend, Michelle Traxler, did more shopping.

She’d already gotten a $49.95 digital camera and an $80 camcorder.

Faith said checkout lines at Target snaked to the back of the store early in the morning.

Recent high school graduate Josh Hennek was going to get what he wanted from Best Buy this year.

“Last year I was in line way around the corner. I came earlier this year.”

Earlier meant about 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving day, more than 12 hours before the store’s Black Friday opening. Hennek was 10th in line, waiting for a $179 laptop.

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