ajc.com Holiday Guide

It's the day big retailers stake their hopes on and some shop clerks dread: Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, when flocks of coupon-wielding, deal-crazed holiday shoppers head for the mall.

Some go for the bargains. Some go for the spectacle. But going at all is not something to do casually, veteran shoppers say. A few shared their best shopping strategies with the AJC.

Kimberly Smith/AJC (ENLARGE)

Michael Edwards of Sandy Springs uses the 'shotgun approach' in 2005 to get most of his shopping done in one stop.

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1. Use teamwork

Erin Keys' grandmother would rouse her family early and head for the stores. But in the hubbub at the mall, they'd sometimes lose track of her.

A pair of walkie-talkies solved the problem. "My cousin would be like, 'OK, got Grandma in Belk,' " said Keys, 24, a student at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur.

Cellphones and helpful nephews do the trick for Chad Johnson, who wants to take his 10-year-old son along that day but also needs some time alone to, ahem, make gift suggestions to Santa. "We stay on the cellphone," said Johnson, a juvenile probation officer from Decatur.

Car pooling with family makes parking a little cheaper and easier for Lindsey Smiley, 19, of Atlanta. At Lenox Square, she added, the valet service is worth it to avoid the stress of hunting for a spot.

And Michelle Baird, 40, a cake decorator from Decatur, said that when she used to shop with her family on Black Friday, they'd rotate a key job: line place holder.

Baird said her sister mapped out a route in her head before hitting the road.

Her philosophy: "Don't waste your gas, don't waste your time and don't waste your money," Baird said.

Robin Simms, 49, of Lilburn said careful planning has led to flawless Black Fridays for her. The night before, she scans newspaper ads for great deals. By morning, she's on a mission.

"Last year, I wanted a flat-screen TV. I got an $800 TV for $200," she said. "You've got to really know what you want, and that's what you've got to target and go to first."

The annual ritual is a time to take advantage of the deals and get regular shopping done, not just gift-buying, she said. She purchases most presents closer to Christmas.

Black Friday veterans recommend choosing stores based on your tolerance for jabbing elbows and trampled toes.

Some, like Johnson, go straight for the large retailers, with their big bargains and big crowds. Brenda Warner, 18, of Decatur said the hassle can be worth it. She once stood in line for an hour to buy a pretty locket for her mom at J.C. Penney. Her reward: 30 percent off.

But Smiley said she heads for smaller mall shops like American Eagle Outfitters, which often have Black Friday sales, too, but aren't as crowded.

Boutiques also offer breathing room. Terri Hill said her Virginia-Highland shop Dakota J's, which sells clothing, gifts and jewelry, can't match large retailer's deep discounts but does stock merchandise at every price point. And visitors won't have to fight their way in.

Leslie Joseph, owner of Rue de Leon in Decatur, said she'll mark down wares at her gift, home accessories and framing store at least 10 percent that day. Mall shoppers are in a frenzy, she said, "but they're more relaxed here."

For Warner, the 18-year-old, early means waking up around 8.

But by then, Simms — who netted the $200 flat-screen TV — has already been shopping for four hours.

She goes to bed around

9:30 the night before and rises at 3 a.m. By 4, she's at her first stop, which is usually Wal-Mart. After that, it's on to the electronics stores, then the mall.

"I usually try to hit the malls very, very early," said Simms, a human resources consultant. It's already crowded, but the best sales are often from 6 to 8 a.m., she said. And she doesn't dawdle.

There's no point in starting at 8, she said. "You're probably wasting your time after that."

Keys' advice for getting through a hectic day of deal hunting: "Get there early, eat a good breakfast, and perhaps sleep in the car."

Barbara Southern, 61, of Decatur said the reward for getting up at 4 a.m. was finishing shopping by 1 or 2 p.m., satisfied that she'd gotten everything she wanted.

Before she began bringing a friend that day, her husband would go.

He had his own strategy. After the couple had breakfast, she would head for the stores and he would sit back in the car and read the newspaper. He'd wait for her to emerge, bags in hand.

"I could go and do whatever I wanted, and I didn't have to worry about 'hurry up, hurry up, hurry up,' " said Southern, a retired county government worker. "I didn't bother him and he didn't bother me."