Friday, November 23, 2012
Really early opening time for national retailer's Belmont Center store.
It was 15 minutes after midnight this morning, Friday, Nov. 23, and already boots were piling up in the women's shoe department of the Belmont Center Macy's. Coming out of the back storage room, Macy's sales associate Jean Keny carries a box of Bearpaw boots for a customer who speaks Haitian Creole as does Keny. "Busy," Keny said about the first few minutes of Black Friday in the Belmont store. For the second year running, Macy's opened its stores at and around midnight – the Belmont Center store was granted a 12:30 a.m. opening by the Board of Selectmen on Monday but no one from Town Hall was around to check – and the store had for customers waiting to get in. "My friend and I were up and decided to see the sales," said a customer back …
42.397936
-71.175024
Macy's
75 Leonard St, <span class='street2'>Belmont Center</span>, Belmont, MA
/articles/macy-s-black-friday-began-at-midnight
157059
/locations/8196364
Get your flyers online for today's sales.
The Thanksgiving tradition of flipping through the Black Friday newspaper circulars won’t be quite the same this year as many national retailers have already released their Black Friday ads online. Here are just a handful of the circulars, previews and deals you can find online today: Macys (in Belmont) Target (Watertown) Kohls (Burlington, Medford) Old Navy (Watertown) Best Buy (Watertown, Burlington, Boston in the Fenway) Michaels (Cambridge in Porter Square, Burlington) Sports Authority (Watertown) Modells (Cambridge in Fresh Pond) This list is just a sampling of the many online circulars and specials. To search for more, check out these sites for Black Friday sales or check each individual business: The Black Friday BF Ads
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
This Friday's 'Buy Nothing Day,' same day as 'Black Friday,' has taken on a new political tinge. Does that change how you view the effort to keep the holidays from becoming one big shopping trip?
'Buy Nothing Day,' a 20-year old tradition of reminding people that there is more to Thanksgiving and Christmas than shopping, this year has taken on even more political coloring: Buy Nothing Day/#Occupy Xmas. Last year, 2011, was the first year Buy Nothing Day was connected to the Occupy movement; both are brought to you by Adbusters, a passionately anti-capitalist organization out of Canada. The Adbusters homepage with information about Buy Nothing Day/#Occupy Xmas, is dominated by a Guy Fawkes mask, emblematic of the Occupy movement and by this quote: “Today, humanity faces a stark choice: save the planet and ditch capitalism, or save capitalism and ditch the planet.” – Fawzi Ibrahim So here's the question: does the closer connection…
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Blue laws prohibit retailers from opening before midnight on Black Friday.
Black Friday is starting earlier than ever, as some national retailers have announced they will open the night of Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 22. However, here in Massachusetts, state blue laws prohibit stores from opening until midnight, according to an article in the Boston Globe. Current blue laws prohibit retailers in the state from opening on Thanksgiving, thus preventing them from getting an early start on Black Friday sales, according to the Globe article. Some exceptions are restaurants, health care facilities and gas stations. The laws, instituted in the 17th century, are intended to make sure holidays are properly observed, according to the Boston Globe. Are Massachusetts' blue laws outdated? Should they be eliminated? Tell …
Friday, November 25, 2011
Dozens show up at 12:20 a.m. to hunt for bargains or just early morning browsing.
Vicky Huang and her mother, Jane, were a bit early for the opening of Macy's but decided to wait in front of the Claflin Street entrance of the Belmont store. "We're here because we want to find some bargains," said Vicky. "It's fun to wait." But unlike the other 350 days when the store opens when the sun rises, the nearby church bells had just struck the midnight hour. The Huang's were joined by about two dozen shoppers who came to the Belmont Macy's and millions around the country who wanted to be the first to took advantage of the initial major sale of the holiday season the day after Thanksgiving. At Macy's, that meant between 20 percent to 60 percent off along with 15 percent off coupons. "It's my first time I've gone out this early …
42.397936
-71.175024
Macy's
75 Leonard St, <span class='street2'>Belmont Center</span>, Belmont, MA
/articles/after-midnight-belmont-s-black-friday-begins-at-macy-s-5dea9b51
157059
/locations/5933389
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
It's Black Friday, did you hit the stores?
Named for the color used to show that businesses have turned a profit, "Black Friday" has become a bellwether for predicting how well the holiday shopping season will be. The first official day of the holiday shopping season, Black Friday and its deep discounts offered by most retailers usually draw hordes of deal-hunting shoppers and could be a sign of a rebound in consumer spending. Others, meanwhile, prefer to beat the crowds by staying at home. So, which are you — a deal hunter, or someone who avoids Black Friday? Let us know by casting a vote in our poll. And if you are shopping on Friday, let us know where in the comment section below!
Susan Danseyar
7:14 am on Friday, November 23, 2012
Wow! I remember last year when you had to get up a 5:00 a.m. to report on Macy's being open. You must be exhausted. more ›