Credit: Jay Miller
It looked like the end of the world Thanksgiving afternoon outside several Lower Bucks County chain retailers. Lines more than 100 people deep built up outside the Oxford Valley Mall in Middletown and the nearby Best Buy in Falls Township.
The story wasn’t much different at the Levittown Walmart in Tullytown with shoppers packing the store.
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While many were with family enjoying their Thanksgiving meals, others were hitting the stores for bargains this holiday season.
Thanksgiving sales are a new trend in recent years with many of the nation’s largest retail chains opening their doors on the holiday to accommodate shoppers ready to begin their bargain hunting.
This year, 58 percent of shoppers planned to look for deals after eating on Thanksgiving, an 18 percent increase over last year’s respondents, according a PricewaterhouseCoopers consumer survey.
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Increased competition from online retailers has caused many national chain to step up their holiday sales efforts, including the Thanksgiving openings.
LevittownNow.com reader Caroline Kopczenski Joyce said she went shopping with her husband to local Target, Walmart, Michaels and Dick’s Sporting Goods stores. She said the crowds seemed to be well managed and deals were to be had at all four of the stores.
“I’d rather be out shopping with my daughter than sitting around watching everyone napping and asking you to get them a beer while watching football,” Linda Tucker said.
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Leslie Dougherty explained that while she hates that retailers are open on Thanksgiving, she caved this year because she will be busy Black Friday when many deals are to be had.
Others were entirely opposed to the idea of big retailers opening on Thanksgiving.
“I think opening on Thanksgiving is just greedy and if the public just realized they actually raise prices in retail stores because mentally the public is sucked into believing they lower them. I stay home because I do not approve,” Patricia Ann Cooper Colby said.
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“I believe all stores should be closed on holidays. Black Friday should be on Black Friday,” Ginny Martin Fiorentine said. “Hubby worked many years in retail and many years he missed the holidays. I never shopped on holiday or Black Friday.”
Chain retailers like Costco, DSW, Home Depot, Nordstrom and TJ Maxx all were closed Thanksgiving. They cited the holiday and importance of employees spending time with family as the reason.
“If you can get yourself off the couch to go shopping after Thanksgiving dinner, then you aren’t doing it right,” Kim Gilton Schulze said.
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