MOUNT VERNON — Shoppers waiting outside of JCPenney at 3:45 a.m. had a chilly wait until 4, when the doors opened and at least 20 earlybirds (some who had wisely waited inside their vehicles) hit the store to grab doorbuster bargains that they had already chosen from ads, and other gifts they selected from the huge variety of sale items that had been drastically reduced for the early sale.
Shoppers said the reason they had risen at such an early hour while most of us were still sleeping off the turkey dinners, was the number of amazing deals offered to shoppers who came out for the early offers. Tonya Pentycofe, who arrived early to wait for Penney’s to open, was one of them. She said the good deals brought her out early. “I’m just doing some early shopping. I’m buying a food processor for my sister.” A doorbuster deal, there were others who arrived early to snag a food processor at a great price.
Another item on some shoppers lists was a children’s item. “I’m here for a Hello Kitty piggy bank,” said Tammy Smith, who is in town visiting her sister, but lives in Rochester, N.Y. “I’m from out of town, so I’m anxious to shop at an out of town store,” she said.
Sisters were not the only ones making the early morning spree a get-together. Friends Adrain Smith and Holly Kochlis spent the morning shopping together. Waiting for the doors at Penney’s to open, Kochlis explained that she was there for the bargains, and that she had specific brand names on her list which were reduced for the early morning sale.
The doors opened, and they were off, searching for their chosen items. Soon the store was filled with shoppers that while they all looked a little tired, their arms were filled with bargains, and all seemed to be having a great time. As Lois Walchle walked through the doors at 4 a.m., she smiled and said, “We’re crazy!”
JCPenney’s sales associate Barb Dusenberry of Howard said she was surprised and pleased with the big turnout. “It’s been very brisk. I was surprised when I pulled in at 10 to 4 and there were people waiting. I’m happy there’s so many people. People have been cheery.”
Each shopper was given a snow globe by the store.
At Kmart, many people were waiting in their cars just before 5 a.m. Unfortunately, the stores advertised hours said they would not be opening until 6, but none of those waiting seemed deterred when they heard they would have an hour wait.
One of them was Jerry Bechtel of Utica, who had made the trip to pick up some bargains for his wife, who was at work. “I don’t have to work at Ariel until tonight. I’m here to buy three things.”
When he learned he’d have to wait to shop until 6 he laughed, keeping up his holiday spirit. “Well, we’ll be the first ones in. I thought for sure it was 5,” he laughed.
At Staples, shoppers were in line before 5 a.m., knowing the store didn’t open until 6 a.m. They were securing their spot in line to purchase doorbusters that they had heard were in limited supply, such as a laptop at an extremely low price.
Heather Wojtseck of Homer was one of Staples’ patrons, waiting at 4:50 a.m. to purchase a laptop for her son.
Brother and sister-in-law Jared Hoffman and Maria Overholt, both of Mount Vernon, waited together in the cold. “My wife is expecting,” Hoffman explained. “So I came with my sister-in-law.”
But they did not wait hungry in the Staples parking lot. Congregation members from the Apostolic Christian Church were on hand with free coffee, hot chocolate, doughnuts and breakfast bars. They even brought them to those in line, so that the eager shoppers would not lose their spot in the line.
“We came last year because a couple of our guys were in line,” Pastoral Aide L.J. Harry explained. “We thought, it would be great to do this for everyone. So we got permission from the management.”
Eight church members were there to serve people. “This is a great crew,” Harry said.
At 7, Staples’ store manager Pam Foster said that the first hour of the morning was not disappointing. “We were extremely busy. Everybody was in a good mood today,” she said.
At Wal-Mart, where the parking lot was full at 5 when sale prices became effective, management stopped the News from interviewing shoppers.
Coshocton Avenue was full of traffic, long before the sun rose, as shoppers went from store to store, some even finishing their Christmas shopping early. Very early.
