Staples - How busy is it at 6am?

[Manduh203]

Is Staples usually busy on BF at 6 am?

[forsberg]

I went to the Staples BF two years ago and there was already a long line before 6am. But I think that was because there was a Circuit City across the street. I was gonna go to CC first but the line was so long, I went to Staples across the street.

[Rebirth]

It's long but not long as other stores such as BB and CC. It's also near CC, in fact it's right next to each other.

[BigSlama912]

Busy!

[weathernick]

Last year my friend and I stood in line at best buy for 3 hours (which is not early enough for our area!!) and came out empty handed. While driving home we saw staples was open so we decided to give it a try. Keep in mind they were already open for 10 minutes by the time we got there.

 

It was great!! Got the 200gig Maxtor drive and a 512meg thumbdrive and was out of there in like an hour or so. Then I went over to the other staples and grabbed another thumbdrive. By 8 most of the items (hard drives, thumbdrive, other cheap hardware etc...) were gone, but some items weren't limited and thus you can get a rain check on them.:)

 

So I really think it is the area you are in will affect the lines. For us, our staples are not near any wal-marts, best buys or circuit cities. Thus I think that gave us an advantage as most people are stuck at Best Buy. The best thing you can do if you are doing this for the first time is to swing down there a few days before and ask the manager when a good time to swing down there is. This year I will be there about an hour before hand ,but that is only because I want time to swing by the other (less busy) store.:)

[amdskip]

I'm usually in the top 15 in line at staples. I get there about 45 minutes before they open. This year the goal is to be there 1 hour before. It's more of a rush beating everyone there.

[bjy20716]

Ive gone to staples the past few years about 20 minutes before they open and have been between like 20-40th in line and got the hard drives / computer parts I wanted.

At the staples near me they put all the items up front on tables.

[aarvee]

Last year I missed the coupon at bestbuy and then went to Staples at 6.30 am .I think there were about 10 people before me.Not at all bad compare to bestbuy and cc.Moreover laptop configurations are always better than the best buy ones

[RossMAN]

1 hour before they open and you should be ok.

[basketcase456]

Staples was great last year and I plan to go again this year. I got there about 45 minutes before opening and was 2nd in line. Everything was either up front or on large pallets. I got everything I wanted and when I left a half hour later there was still stuff.

[cpthnsolo]

I made the mistake of going 3 hours early to Staples a couple years ago and was by myself in line for at least an hour and a half. Staples always seems to be a bit more organized on Black Friday, but perhaps that's just because they don't get quite as many people. Either way I've been a big fan of their's since they started their Easy Rebate program. I've probably sent in for at least 20 or more rebates through Staples and have yet to have a problem .

 

Of course, this year I'll be camping out with all the other nuts in the BB line for the $250 laptop. I just hope 8 or 9pm is going to be early enough ;^).

[Gurnee Al]

I made the mistake of going 3 hours early to Staples a couple years ago and was by myself in line for at least an hour and a half. Staples always seems to be a bit more organized on Black Friday, but perhaps that's just because they don't get quite as many people. Either way I've been a big fan of their's since they started their Easy Rebate program. I've probably sent in for at least 20 or more rebates through Staples and have yet to have a problem .

 

Of course, this year I'll be camping out with all the other nuts in the BB line for the $250 laptop. I just hope 8 or 9pm is going to be early enough ;^).

 

Why not save the headache of camping out and get the $399 laptop at Staples? It's a nice laptop!

[thmain]

Last year I arrived about an hour before the store opened and I was tenth in line. This year I plan on going earlier just to make sure. Our Staples was very organized last year and handed out coupons for all of the big ticket items while we waited in line. So before the store opened you knew whether or not you would be able to get the item you wanted. When the store opened, you walked to the back of the store and took your coupons to an associate who was at the door to the stockroom. You were handed the items you had coupons for and checked out at the front. I was in and out in twenty minutes which included loading a desk in my car.

 

I hope they do something similar this year....it was very organized!

[aarkaay]

STaples is the only shop i go on BF. It is less crowded and it is enough if to be there 30 mins before.

 

I went this year too and was 10 in the line at about 530am. it was well organized, bought 2 1GB cruiser flash drive and one 2GB CF ultra, went in and out about 30 mins.

 

CC and BB were crazy.

[Elphaba]

Another vote for Staples - ANYTIME! They're organized, helpful, and friendly.

 

I should have known better than to try Circuit City, but I must have lost my head for a moment, and went anyway. At 4:45 AM, the line had over 300 people. I left, tried the website, still couldn't get what I wanted, so I went back, figuring the line would have gone down enough. There were still about 100 people standing outside. Again, lost my head, and decided to wait. The place was insane. Lines everywhere, no end in sight, nothing that I wanted available... So I left empty-handed.

 

Drove to Staples. It's now 6:30 - 1/2 hour after opening. I wanted the flash drive. There were none on the table, but one of the associates said one had just been returned, and she retrieved it for me. No line at the register.

 

Went to another Staples. Now it's 6:45. This Staples, too, had stuff left on the table, but not the flash drive. I asked, they went in back, found one last one back there.

 

I've always been a fan - should have known better than to go anywhere else. Not worth the hassle.

[Kayakmom]

My sister and I got to staples at about 4:15 and were 9th and 10th in line. When we got there we asked if anyone knew how many laptops the store had and if the limit was one. The people in line said we were good. The first in line had gotten there at about 2:15am. A few minutes before opening, the manager gave out cards for the laptops and 32" HDTV. He also told us about a cordless keyboard and mouse unadvertised special, regular $79.99 for $19.99. I ended up getting one of those for an online friend who does not have too much and it is at the top of her Christmas list. I thought it would be nice to "pay it forward". Anyway, we ended up with 2 laptops, a 400gig Big Book drive, 2gb Ultra II CF card, and the Microsoft wireless keyboard and mouse set. Overall, a very good visit!

[batojefe]

Another vote for Staples - ANYTIME! They're organized, helpful, and friendly.

 

I should have known better than to try Circuit City, but I must have lost my head for a moment, and went anyway. At 4:45 AM, the line had over 300 people. I left, tried the website, still couldn't get what I wanted, so I went back, figuring the line would have gone down enough. There were still about 100 people standing outside. Again, lost my head, and decided to wait. The place was insane. Lines everywhere, no end in sight, nothing that I wanted available... So I left empty-handed.

 

Drove to Staples. It's now 6:30 - 1/2 hour after opening. I wanted the flash drive. There were none on the table, but one of the associates said one had just been returned, and she retrieved it for me. No line at the register.

 

Went to another Staples. Now it's 6:45. This Staples, too, had stuff left on the table, but not the flash drive. I asked, they went in back, found one last one back there.

 

I've always been a fan - should have known better than to go anywhere else. Not worth the hassle.

Yeah- tried BB, what a nightmare. Made out like a bandit at Staples.

[twcoffee]

I love Staples, but for the 2nd year in a row, I did everything online! I got 2 of the 7.98 Drives, 100 CDs for 14.98, 2 boxes of Jewel cases for 2.98 each, and the photo paper that was on sale. Last year I got a20" LCD monitor for $129 online.

 

Beats standing in line, just got up and online by 4 am (AZ Time)

[cberrytech]

I was at Staples by 5:20 this morning and there were already 30 people in line with tickets passed out. I missed out on my 19" monitor for $129. Won't bother with them next year. Staples is not worth waiting in line over an hour. Will order the monitor from PC Connection instead.

[vee3]

i got to my staples 30 minutes after opening and got 2 1gb cruzer micros, 60gb maxtor portable hd, a 1gb flash card and dvdr disks...was out in under 40mins

 

i love my staples

[schmodi]

I love Staples too! They were my third stop...just wanted to go in for some photo paper and the battery backup surge. Arrived at 6:05. The doors were open and the line was moving. Maybe 50 people or so. Waited outside for 10 min, came in, nice helpful Staples people pointed me in the right direction and I picked up my stuff. There were no more people coming in the store at that time, so I took a shot and asked the people at the "ticket" table what they had tickets left for. As soon as they said the 32" LCD HDTV, I took the ticket and ran! I am still on cloud nine! No waiting all night and I scored a 32" TV!

[thmain]

We arrived at 3 am and were the second/third in line. About 30 minutes prior to opening they came out with the coupons/tickets for the big ticket items. Our line was extremely long (I would say 200 people.....in fact I was in and out fairly quickly while the line of people were still coming inside.

 

We got the TV (after driving by CC and Best Buy at 8pm last night and seeing the lines already around the building we decided Staples would be the best bet).

 

Unfortunately, we did not have a doorbuster laptop in our area.

 

I, again this year, was impressed with the way Staples handles Black Friday. I went to Walmart and again was disappointed with their attempt at crowd control.

[batojefe]

We arrived at 3 am and were the second/third in line. About 30 minutes prior to opening they came out with the coupons/tickets for the big ticket items. Our line was extremely long (I would say 200 people.....in fact I was in and out fairly quickly while the line of people were still coming inside.

 

We got the TV (after driving by CC and Best Buy at 8pm last night and seeing the lines already around the building we decided Staples would be the best bet).

 

Unfortunately, we did not have a doorbuster laptop in our area.

 

I, again this year, was impressed with the way Staples handles Black Friday. I went to Walmart and again was disappointed with their attempt at crowd control.

Finally, it pays to be in a small city! They were sold out of the TV's (got 2), but the computers were still in stock. I was surprised at the lack of people there. I didn't expect BB, but I did expect some type of crowd.

[screemer]

This is my third or fourth year in a row going to Staples. The one I go to is near no major stores, so the line really isnt that bad. This year, I got there 45 minutes early and was about 30 to 40 back. However, I lucked out and was the last person to get the paper for the laptop. I felt fortunate. It was a peace of cake getting everything else I wanted too. I will keep going to Staples, but may try getting there earlier if I want something big again.

[kdspark]

Got to our staples this AM to get the phones on sale. Arrived at 445 thinking they opened at 5. Well NOPE they opened at 6 but still stayed inline at about 15th place. My mom and I got the laptop coupon(didnt need one just wanted to give them away) and when it was just about time to go in,we saw a family get out of 200+ line since they couldnt get one for their child,I gave them one of mine coupons and when inside the store getting ready to check out,a lady was nice asking if there were any left and and we handed her our other one.One way for us to say Merry Christmas to some one else.

D

[Elphaba]

My mom and I got the laptop coupon(didnt need one just wanted to give them away) and when it was just about time to go in,we saw a family get out of 200+ line since they couldnt get one for their child,I gave them one of mine coupons and when inside the store getting ready to check out,a lady was nice asking if there were any left and and we handed her our other one.One way for us to say Merry Christmas to some one else.

D

Nice. :)

[jennirv4967]

We got there about 5:30, we had to hit Walmart first. There was a line. They opened the doors...pandemonium. First off they took half the store and turned it into warehouse, so the store is so much smaller than usual. Then they used to take all the sale items and put them on tables at the front. This year they only took half the sale items and did that. The others were hidden...and then the big ones they hid behind the copy center.

 

it didn't help anything when the boneheads all get out their shopping carts and then park in front of the tables so you can't get around them. Then we all had to stand in line to see if we even had the chance to get the hidden items because they didn't believe in tickets.

 

Apparently they only had 4 laptops and 2 of the televisions. Luckily we were able to get 2 of the 400GB hard drives. My hubby barely got the Tungsten he wanted, and they hid the Compact Flash cards. I made another stab at looking at them as we were about to leave and luckily found that too.

[len_mullen]

Nice. :)

Unless you are the first guy who did not get a ticket because these people who didn't want a laptop took it. Kind of like letting some cut in line *behind* you. Bah humbug to this kid and his mom (I did not want the laptop, btw).

 

Staples was my second stop this morning. I showed up at Kohls at 4:30, walked in, got three digital frames, and a guitar hero, and was out in twenty minutes. From there, my sister and I went to Staples. Generally, you can walk into my Staples *after* it opens and get what you want. This year, the line was 200 long 15 minutes before the store opened. Just the same, I got everything I wanted -- 19" lcd, 200g disk, 2g SD, 1g SD, Playo DVDs, 1g thumb drive, and the web cam. My sister got most of that and the 400g external drive.

 

I think the Mag TVs brought people into my little Staples...I almost bought one on impulse.

 

Two observations: 1) the workers at both stores were outstanding -- helpful and courteos, and 2) there were no limits on nonrebate items. I wondered why some ebayer didn't grab all those 7" digital frames at Kohls or maybe the Mag LCDs at Staples (one guy had two).

 

All in all, a very satisfying BF for me.

[len_mullen]

The others were hidden...

They did this at Kohls too. I would have expected the workers to have maps, but they were scrambling as well. I did not find this fun. It just wasted my time.

[Elphaba]

Unless you are the first guy who did not get a ticket because these people who didn't want a laptop took it. Kind of like letting some cut in line *behind* you. Bah humbug to this kid and his mom (I did not want the laptop, btw).

They were in line and got the tickets. They chose not to use them, but to give them to someone who wanted the item. Frankly, I'd much rather see that, than what I saw at Circuit City - people with arms loaded with 6 of each of the items I wanted.

 

Last week, I had 2 coupons to use at a store that only allowed one at a time. The coupons expired that day. So I turned to the person in line behind me and gave him one. Should I have gone to the front of the line to hand it out instead?