Black Friday shoppers out in force in Myrtle Beach

Christmas shoppers flooded Myrtle Beach area stores on Black Friday to catch the early season sales, but the pre-dawn crowds were not nearly as large as in previous years.

Bargain hunters attributed the smaller numbers to the staggered opening times of major stores beginning on Thanksgiving, and seasoned shoppers said it made their spending excursion the most enjoyable since they began the holiday tradition.

“It was much easier this time, not everyone was doing their door-busters at the same time so we split it over two days,” said John Roberson of Hamlet, North Carolina, who purchased 60-inch and 40-inch televisions at Best Buy.

Roberson’s wife Shanda said the store was “jammed” on Thursday night, so they tried again early Friday and were happily surprised to find the merchandise they intended to purchase was still available on the shelves.

Laura May recently moved to Myrtle Beach from Pennsylvania and was also shopping at Best Buy for a large-screen television Friday.

“Compared to Pittsburgh, this is nothing, just a normal shopping day,” May said as she and her daughter pushed the oversized set into their mid-size sedan.

“I’m used to craziness and a lot more crowds, but this doesn’t seem to be bad at all,” May said.

At Coastal Grand mall, grandmothers, moms and daughters shopped as teams while men lounged in the seating areas. Older men dozed while others guarded shopping bags piling up at their feet, their noses glued to cell phones.

Many viewed the day as a family affair and shopped with their young children, the smallest snuggled in strollers, oblivious to the secret workings of Santa Claus.

Amy Gillenwater and her daughter Madison, both of Myrtle Beach, said Black Friday shopping has been their tradition for five years.

“Ever since she had her own money, she could go shopping with me,” the mother said as the two pushed a shopping cart overflowing with shopping bags filled with gifts, clothing and an over-stuffed dog bed.

“It’s a lot slower this year, there’s a lull for some reason,” Amy Gillenwater said. “But now I can be done by 10 a.m., go home and take a nap, and then put up the Christmas tree.”

Hesha Gamble from Greenville and her sister Lisa Gamble from Fort Stewart, Georgia said they were also enjoying the slower pace.

Although the mall filled quickly by mid-morning, no one appeared to be in a rush and shoppers strolled causally from Dillard’s to Belk.

“We’ve not had to wait in line, it’s a lot easier getting in and out of places, it’s great,” Hesha Gamble said.

Larger crowds gathered on Thanksgiving to snag big-ticket items at stores like Target and Wal-Mart, and at Belk, where gift cards ranging from $50 to $1,000 were passed out to the first few hundred shoppers through the doors.

Donnie and Renee Freeman stood in the line at Belk’s Thursday night and won a $100 gift card.

“I thought there was going to be a fight,” said Donnie Freeman, as he and his wife continued shopping Friday morning at Kohl’s. “But it’s not like it used to be since they opened on Thursday.”

Judy Wimmer and Teresa Younts from Lexington have been making the Black Friday trip to Myrtle Beach for 17 years.

“We love it, we leave the men at the beach house and then they go fishing,” Wimmer said.

The seasoned shoppers said they remove two seats from their van and fill it with shopping bags, and one year had the roof loaded with an oversized toy.

“This is nothing compared to other years, I don’t know if they are ordering online or did their shopping yesterday, but this is a piece of cake,” Wimmer said.

Brenda Maness and Viola Maness from Asheboro, North Carolina have been shopping together here on Black Friday for 16 years, and started their spending spree Thursday night.

“It’s been good this year,” Viola Maness said of the moderate crowds as they passed through Kohl’s just before 8 a.m.

“The husbands go hunting and we go shopping, that’s how we get it done. We ain’t been to bed yet,” she said.

Audrey Hudson 843-444-1765

@AudreyHudson

This story was originally published November 27, 2015 at 8:15 AM with the headline "Black Friday shoppers out in force in Myrtle Beach."