What always amazes me is the disrespect some people have these days. Two years ago, I waited in the chilly air (50's - chilly for SW Florida) in front of a Target with about 200 other people. As the doors were just about to open, a fireman pulled up, parked in the fire lane, then he and his female companion walked right in front of 95% of the people as the doors opened, glaring at everyone who dared to complain about it. Target's crack security, of course, did nothing, but there was a real cop there the following year.
Wal-Mart 3 or 4 years prior of course lets all shoppers in, but Electronics was blocked off until the store's sales started at 6am. Of course, there was a line to the entrance of the Electronics department, but at 6am, the Wal-Mart employees actually opened the side opposite of the line first, allowing people just wandering by to swarm into the section while the people who had patiently waited in line had to wait until things cleared up some so there was room to go in.
Best Buy is, by far, the most successful Black Friday host, in my opinion, followed by Circuit City. The first year Best Buy was here in our area for Black Friday, the line to get in extended two football fields into the parking lot. I was lucky enough to be the 100th in line, getting the last Price Tag Plush Mascot the store was handing out. They also brought around donuts and cookies, which I saw repeated the next year at Office Depot and Circuit City. Their new ticketing system, which I haven't used, seems brilliant. Circuit City is well-managed in letting only a few people into the store at a time, but also, the always have large quantities of the items on sale (unlike Best Buy, which seems to sell out early on a number of items). Too bad CC won't be around this year.
