Which store is held in your mind for having the most insane in-store BF experience?

[MarkRaby]

Even though the big box guys (Best Buy, Circ City, etc) are always crazy, there's usually at least some order to the madness. In terms of pure chaos, my vote has to go to CompUSA, for last year's midnight opening. There was no security, no attempt to bring order to things from the employees, AND NO LINES AT ALL. CompUSA, typically a pretty calm store, has no real lines set up. They've just got a handful of registers. For those who didn't go, you can just imagine how insane it was to not have any sort of official lines, with hundreds of people wanting to check out.

[t03knee]

Walmart hands down. Personally I believe it's due to the fact that not only are there electronics for the men, but whole families will come to get everything they need from there. So really both sexes and people of all ages go to Walmart for the deals. Women are amazingly good with handling large crowds. I got trampled 2 years ago at WalMart for an $85 Gamecube. -____-"

 

And all the while, nerds like me *cough* and other guys tend to hit up the electronic stores first. Oddly, even though it's still chaotic, it's easier to handle (as long as you're not getting a laptop/computer). But that's just from my experience. =P

[hwunch]

Office Max. On Black Friday, 3 registers open and lines wrapped around the store so you cant get to what you want.

[sm1kla]

Order to the madness?? I am a big fan of Target, last year register lines were crazy - then I got a call from a girlfriend who said she couldn't believe that there was noone in line at the first few registers. As people were coming out of electronics and toys they got in "the line". Lines for the last 3 registers stretched to the back of the stores, while the other registers had few to noone in line -The fairway to the register was completed jammed. Target employees were just standing there, not directing shoppers at all.

[santaclaus]

Me and hubby were darn near jumped because in our wondering around trying to find a gift for a friends son, we accidentally wondered into a check out line. I guess the lady thought that we were trying to jump line and she really let us have it. Needless to say, we put the one item we had back on the shelf and left. Our Toys R Us was not set up right for a Black Friday sale. It was small, on that day it was very crowded and they may have had 3 check out lines.

[cherry33778]

Definetly Walmart, I have been to Best buy when the fire marshall had to guard the doors and it was less hectic.

[Bestbuy7]

Macys, but Im still going there this year.

[Ladybug Mom]

My most memorable BF story of insanity comes via my mother during the Cabbage Patch Craze on Black Friday 1982. She was in a near riot in Zayre's Bangor, Maine. They had them advertised for $21.99...she originally got 3 of them, but someone actually punched through the packaging on one of the boxes and ripped the doll right out of it. One of her friends got a huge bloody scratch across his face...it was insane. Everytime I talk about heading down for BF, this story always imerges! I must say I was one happy little girl that Christmas!

[Gurnee Al]

CC is horrible. In my local store, their aisle layout makes it very difficult to get around. Also, they have cashiers all over the store, so shoppers are mixed in with buyers. Total chaos.

[candlesbytammy1]

Best Buy for me, My husbands b-day is at the end of Nov and they usually have some type of gadet he wants from there at a really good deal. Last year digital camera with dock/printer. This year it is a camcorder. Every year I wait to get there till the store is open and I usually arrive within a minute or two of opening. by the time I get in, the check out line for the main register is wrapped around the store and up and down the aisles. Thank fully so far I have only gone for one item in one department and got immedidate check out. If I had to purchase multiple items I might reconsider.

[BrandyJervas]

Walmart takes it for me it got kinda physical and over a stupid r/c car but I won I'm just glad it didn't go further than her pushing me and me pushing her back

[cmw1009]

For me the madness is Best Buy first then Target 2nd... we usually hit WalMart sometime in the afternoon after all the madness des down there..

[elena_398]

Never been to Best Buy on BF so no experience there. BUT, Walmart has some nuts out there every year.

[zgamer]

In going against the tides I would have to say Toys-R-Us.....I avoid the store at all costs but for those who line up there for some reason every year for the last 3 years the cops have taken a couple people each year for a ride after fights broke out.

[elena_398]

Toys R Us is bad here but because of Checkout lines. Now I've avoided TRU the last couple of years as Walmart price matches their items. If you're in and out then you have a chance, but god forbid you stall and the checkout lines have a chance to fill up....in that case you are in line for an hour or more. lol. For some reason they never have all their checkout lanes open. Ridiculous

[love2beurwifey]

I think best buy but it has always varied year by year

[dgleason]

I agree with the CUSA midnight madness last year. It was a total crush of bodies pushing into the store. Then the hard drives were immediately in the front so the crush stopped just inside the door. It took 10 minutes to push through the crowd and break free. When the hard drives on the shelves were gone a couple of shoppers climbed the shelves and were throwing down the boxes from the overstock area above the shelves. It took almost a half an hour to find an employee - I think they were all hiding until it was safe to come out. Then it was 3 hours in line to check out.

[elena_398]

Walmart and KB Toys have always been bad. Toy shoppers can be vicious. lol

[pogiporkchop]

I said WalMart, based on the stampede of last year.

[theboyzmom]

for a personal experience? Walmart...nothing really wild, but every year when the doors open, I literally don't have to walk in...I'm so small that when the crowds start to push through the doors, I could literally pick my feet up and be carried in simply from being squished between other people!

 

The lines at Target rank right up there too....it's amazing that within a few minutes of opening how the lines can go from the back of the store to the registers

[cleverbffool]

Walmart by far.

[angelicswtnss]

Wal-Mart is ridiculous, but it's always my first stop. I refuse to go to TRU. That was one of my last stops last year. As I walked through the door I realized that the lines wrapped around the store and then outside, and I could barely walk through the store because it was so crowded, I left. I didn't even bother.

[mccabefamily29]

Wal-mart here is always crazy, but small town so it is only Wal-mart and Kmart to choose from.

[blong2200]

I was in Walmart during Black Friday 2004 standing in electronic line, when someone in toy department started hollering and screaming...........HER WATER HAD BROKEN and she was in LABOR! People were stepping over this lady. The store manager finally had get on the loud speaker and SCREAM for people to stand still and MOVE out of the way, so the EMT's could get inside to this lady to help her. She had the baby in the parking lot and named HIM SAM!

 

It was wild. But, I couldn't help but wonder why someone that close to having a baby would be out shopping on black friday. Must have been some amazing deals!

[MajorIllinifan]

About 5-6 years ago, I went to Wal-Mart for the opening of BF. I was about the 20th person into the store, but several old ladies were ahead of me and they were after the 27" TVs that were on sale for some ridiculous price. WM had a stack of the TVs right at the front of the store. These 98 lb, 4 ft 9 in women were dumping these giant TV boxes into regular carts and then they'd take off trying to find their other deals. The problem was that they were too short to see over or around the TVs and they were running the carts into the other customers, displays and employees and then they started screaming for people to move! Insane!