Share your suggestions for improving BF & win a BF t-shirt - CONTEST OVER!

[magickallight]

I think the stores that have online sites should offer the same sales online as they do in the stores... I for one would do a lot more shopping without the hassle of fighting the crowds only to find that the items I wanted are gone!

[kboyts]

Port-a-johns and coffee outside for those camping out for 12+ hours in the cold !

[arci122]

Not have to carry the large heavy items through the store and lines. Have a ticket purchase system inside or out so that you can drive out back and pick it up after all other shopping.

 

Also, more cashiers on hand.

[oldandintheway]

1. More online sales with free or cheap shipping charges.

2. Stores should try to have larger quantities of the sale items in stock.

3. It's getting to the point where security stationed outside of the stores is a must for safety reasons and to stop line jumpers and people who rush the door.

[zoemariesmamma]

i totally agree that someone should make sure that the line crashers are held back..that is so annoying. i also think that people should be more friendly that day (on both sides of the counter!)

[ohitsunshine]

I think that some stores should have extra staff on hand to help with carrying purchases or holding them somewhere. This would cut down on the amount of carts being jabbed into your sides. Also more cashiers, and for those without a lot of cashier stations, they need to hire a temp company or something for the day. I love to go to Kohls that day, but I know I will be in line for at least an hour and up to 2 hours.

[mbryant]

Stock more of the advertised items.

[harrispizza4]

The only thing that would make me happier and make BF better is if I were wearing one of those cool gotta deal shirts to show off to all the folks standing in line at Kohl's, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Old Navy, Kmart, the Mall........and where ever else I might end up!

[Lanhawk]

I would like to see Led screens that show how many big ticket items are in stock and be able to see the number go down as they get sold. If I am waiting to buy a 50 " flat screen for 30 bucks and they only have four then I should be able so see that they are gone from the back of the line so I can move on to the next store. It seems that every year half the line only wants one item so if its gone, it would could down on the line somewhat.

Perhaps another idea would be for the store save three or four ticket items then have a on-line rafflee where somebody regardless of when they enter (only one entry per household) would have an equal chance. That way if families have to work on Friday they still would have a chance at getting the item, which is about the same chance as waiting in line.

[mamapenguin]

**Every store that expects to attract a line 4 or more hours before opening should provide porta potties.

 

Coffee, cocoa, cider & donuts would be great too. They don't have to be free, but cheap would be nice: $1 or less per item depending on size.

[msl94]

There are a number of things that I can think of to improve BF, although some of which are obvious. The first of which is to make sure that all sale and doorbuster items are fully stocked when the doors open. There is nothing more aggrevating than waiting in line only to find out that a certain item was in limited supply, is not available, or will be arriving later in the day. Another is to have enough staff members on duty to handle the crowds and can work under pressure at the registers. It is one thing to have employees on the floor to help customers, but it is unacceptable to deal with cashiers who have never dealt with long lines or unruly customers who are in a rush. Next, I would ask that all sale items are clearly marked in the ad so that they cannot be confused with similar items in the store. After working in the retail industry for a number of years, there is always one customer who seems to think that they should get a sale price on an item that closely resembles that of the sale item, when it really isn't the one advertised.

[jbdinos]

1. Signs on the doors while wiating on items that they think will be hot and the number available

2. Barriers to cause people to have to go single file and/or security persons to attempt to maintain order

3. Keep stuff in the correct department (walmart is bad about this)

4. If you aren't going to keep it together a map would be nice

5. Limit quantities to 1 per person aged 15 or older on items that have insufficient stock (say less than 20 per store)

6. A small heated/enclosed tent area for older people waiting to warm up just a bit but not too far from the line

7. Coffee/hot chocolate

8. Fire your lawyers!

9. Share your ads with us early so we get excited!!!!

[theboyzmom]

port-a-potties should be a must!

 

coffee, hot chocolate, donuts, etc would be sooo nice...I'd be willing to pay for it!

 

I agree that 6 year olds should not be able to buy limited items (I don't actually think they should be out there at 4 am, but that's just me)

 

tickets or hand stamps for big items/limited stock

 

for goodness sake, WE are your customers, you should WANT us to see your ad right away so we can make sure we have enough money to spend in YOUR store! You should really work WITH us at making YOUR sales a success

 

NO REBATES, EVER

 

price match policies that are clearly stated, whether in the ad, posted on the doors, flyers that are handed out while waiting, posted at the registers, etc

 

music would be wonderful

 

ABC warehouse last year handed out copies of their ad, special local-only store sales, AND they had coffee! They really made us feel like they wanted us there!

 

Toys R Us is a joke with how there lines are...how are you supposed to shop? How are you supposed to find the end of the line??? I've been screamed at after getting in line exactly where one employee told me to go, only to have another tell me I was cutting and had to go somewhere else...I left

 

DO NOT pull items that you are afraid of being price-matched. I had one store manager look at me and actually say that I got the only one of this movie in the whole store....when I was there Thanksgiving night around 9pm, they had over 20 and I put one somewhere else just so I could get it easier, employees had removed the other 19 because they didn't want it pricematched (yes, one actually told me that was done). If you think another store has a better price, match it and get the sale! I'm going to pay $x for it, wouldn't you rather get it than nothing?

 

since carts/buggies are scarce, allow customers to use mesh bags to carry items to registers...too many people have been told they were trying to steal when really they were just trying to not lose or ruin their merchandise on the way to PAY FOR IT

 

dark bags to hide items from kids are great...I don't take mine shopping, but they are up by the time I get home and have to get it in the house somehow!

 

Hire people who KNOW what they are getting in to...they should be ready for a hard days work and realize that people are sleep-deprived and stressed...a smile goes a long way (I always try to smile and say thank you to them, it's really crappy when someone isn't nice in return)

 

why not cater lunch to your employees that day? treat them nice so they are nice to us and we stick around to spend more

 

waiting in line deals (old navy used to do this); someone who has a paper clip gets a prize, person wearing elf ears gets a prize, person who can sing entire 12 days of Christmas, etc...this keeps people excited and they stop thinking about how cold they are or how long the wait is

[smangham]

I would like to see the printed ads come out in the newspaper the Sunday Before Thanksgiving, instead of Thanksgiving Day. Sure would help with the plot-n-plan approach you have to implement on a day that is already full of stress.

 

Also, I'd like to see more online sales advertised. I shopped Old Navy online after midnight last year...and that free-d up so much time and trouble.

 

Finally....Remember when all the stores had those great giveaways? I remember rushing around and collecting toys, makeup, food items, ornaments. It was like a scavenger hunt. BRING THAT BACK!!

[cambo357]

security:

there are several issues with the stores trying to make the chaos more secure. in most states, security officers have little or no more authority than anybody else. if somebody cuts in line, they cannont physically remove them. same goes for the store employees, security personnel or not. if they do, they open a whole can of worms of civil and criminal liability for both the individual, and the companies involved. it sucks, but in todays litigious world its a big issue. some retailers have really limited what their AP/LP people can do. some have been instructed that if they are making a bust on a shoplifter, and the person becomes physical in any way, they are to just let them go. in a BF scenario, store or security personnel can call the police and have the person removed from the property. short of that, not much can be done.

as for police being there, that could help. usually just the presence of LE will do wonders to keep things civil. and if not, then they could get hooked up for several charges. however, police often times have better things to do than babysit a bunch of line sitters. it can be very logistic/manpower heavy as well. take a local shopping area near me for example. all within a short (5 min) drive there is a Costco, CC, Target, Sears, Mervyns, Walmart, BB&B, LnT, BB, Staples, Sams Club, Old Navy, Lowes, Home Depot, and a handful of other smaller places. not all are likely to have line up chaos, but certainly some of them. would be difficult for the police to station themselves around it all. with the agencies being cash strapped, they wont want to put more officers out there on overtime. and if a store specifically requests it, they might be financially liable for the extra cost.

 

it is a circus that culminates as the doors open. humans are just that, human. greedy, stupid, irrational, unpredictable. we cannot control the actions of others. just do our best to stand our ground, then get on with our business of BF pillaging. hopefully, those who have not been such a kindred spirit will be taken care of by karma.

[theboyzmom]

although I hate line jumpers too, honestly, what would the police be able to do? As far as I know, line jumping isn't a crime...

 

you could say there might be a riot, but honestly it's the people being jumped that get hostile and yell and therfore THEY might be considered the out of control people

 

and as much as I hate the door crush that happens, other than using tasers on crowds, how would the police, security, employees, etc stop that from happening (my first year out I LITERALLY picked my feet up and was 'carried' through the doors at Walmart due to the crushing of the mob...but I don't know if there was any way anyone could have stopped it)

[andybrooke]

I would like to see more online sales with free and reduced shipping costs. Would love the online deals to be as good as the deals in the stores.

 

I would also like to see more stores give away "freebies" to their customers.

 

Another thing that I feel would be a great idea would be for the stores to not only have early morning doorbusters, but to also have "doorbusters" later in the day that are just as good as the early morning sales. Maybe an after 5pm sale, or a 12 - 5 sale that includes doorbusters. It seems that all of the really good sales are only in the morning. Ticket systems would work very well for a mid day doorbuster. (line up in a particular area of the store to get your ticket and pick up your item in a different area of the store)

 

I also like the idea of making a party atmosphere in the parking lot for the people waiting in the lines.

[egirl]

I agree they need:

 

more inventory

freebies

put the ads out earlier

map of item locations

faster checkout at Kohls for sure

[lilac100]

Definately need more checkouts, why not have trucks outside with a cash register setup for the bigger items. Get a ticket in the main line go in get the things you need and then go to the truck and pickup your item. You could even pay for the item inside and show your reciept to pick it up outside. If all you wanted was the 42 inch tv you could get your ticket and go pay at the outside register pick it up and stay out of everyone's way.

[missyjane]

Don't start legal actions just because your ad has been released early.

 

I can't stress enough (although I hate to admit it) that I have purchased items even though I hadn't planned on it because it was a good deal, knowing that instead of what I had thought of getting someone or myself I would get whatever item instead.

 

Especially with the economy this year, the stores would do pretty well if they were to have a month or two of black fridays. They don't have to go crazy every week but what if like walmart did last year they had those one day specials. Online would be even better.

 

Online would be even better for all of the sale, the stores could market it as "we know that gas prices are high that's why we are going to make our best deals available online with free shipping" blah blah blah.

 

Otherwise I say security or store personnel should do a better job when they open the doors. I can't tell you how disappointing it is to be number whatever in a single file line and then the doors open and people coming running and get in ahead of you.

 

Open the doors 1/2 hour early for the first 50 people in line.

Give out the tickets then, not hours early which will reduce the scalping I think.

 

All hands on deck, all registers open.

[abentley]

My greatest desire for this years BF is that stores really look at these lists of ideas from their customers!! If your ad is leaked...don't threaten the ones like here who post it. Embrace the flood of customers it might bring in, and make sure you have enough stuff in stock!!

[kmaynor]

I think they should offer better shipping discounts for those who can't get out to the stores!

[Rockfordmom]

They need to stop trying to sell protection plans on big-ticket items on BF! Or get you to subscribe to Dish Network. The lines are long enough without having to wait for someone to fill out paperwork. How about they print up fliers beforehand with all the info and let you take them home and do it online later instead of BF.

[Illinoismom]

5. Limit quantities to 1 per person aged 15 or older on items that have insufficient stock (say less than 20 per store)

 

 

I will disagree with this, as my children starting at 10 have gone black friday and they are given items that they need to get. They do not go alone as they go in pairs. and when K-mart had pepsi really cheap all 4 of my kids were given money to purchase the amount pf soda allowed

[cambo357]

there is a big difference between pepsi and other doorbusters.

it is a lower priced item, with plenty of stock, even though there may be limits on how many a person can buy. even supermarkets will put limits on soda and such when they have a killer sale, not just BF.

 

its those who have 5 kids each buying the high ticket items. kids that young are not each buying a laptop, a desktop, portable DVD player, Zune, and LCD TV. this is just pure greed, either for scalping, ebaying, or for others who didnt want to wait in line.

[3 boys]

**Every store that expects to attract a line 4 or more hours before opening should provide porta potties.

 

Coffee, cocoa, cider & donuts would be great too. They don't have to be free, but cheap would be nice: $1 or less per item depending on size.

Amen:yelclap:

[3 boys]

waiting in line deals (old navy used to do this); someone who has a paper clip gets a prize, person wearing elf ears gets a prize, person who can sing entire 12 days of Christmas, etc...this keeps people excited and they stop thinking about how cold they are or how long the wait is

I love this idea

[jcarr492]

1) For those standing out in the COLD..offer coffee, hot cocoa, and donuts!!!

 

2) Find some way, hire employees for overtime or security, to help cut back on line cutters(BB!!!)

 

3) Have plenty of stock for what is advertised!

 

4) I think all stores should use the ticket system on hot sellers...WM, Target...this would help reduce the crowd and fights near electronics for hot ticket items.

 

5) For ALL stores...be PROUD and APPRECIATIVE of Gottadeal for helping bring you in business! This awesome site helps us plan our shopping and helps us find the best deals!

[gjedda03]

They should go back to the way it used to be where the stores had giveaways for the first so many in the store...and they all didnt open at the same time...and they had the coffee and hot chocolate and donughts for those out in the cold.

 

...I agree with all the previous posts about having a fun atmosphere in the store and doing little giveaways throughout and having the music playing. And also with having some specials in the afternoon.

[Silverstreak24]

I think the stores should distribute maps of the hot items to the people waiting in line 1 min. before the store opens. This way, although everything is wrapped up and in a different department, the people who really want it will know where it is! I also think it would be fantastic for the stores to offer pricematching openly and honestly, not hide the items. How great would it be to see an ad that said "Your item not in stock, that's ok, we will price match!" Instead of all of the hassles that come with price matching, stores should advertise it so everyone will know. What a great way to get business and capitalize on the unsold (and likely not on sale) merchandise? All the retailers are in competition. What better way for the bigger retailers to compete?