"Black Friday started with a black mark this year. The line of several thousand waiting customers wrapped entirely around the Toys R Us building at 4411 W. Wisconsin Ave. Thursday night. Moments before the store opened at 10 p.m., the line of those who’d just arrived and line of those who’d waited many hours overlapped.
When the doors opened, everyone rushed the door. The store’s staff quickly became overwhelmed, locked the door and called police for assistance.
A staffer repeatedly yelled, “back up” to those standing around the door. Customers who’d been waiting hours chanted “end of line” to those who’d just arrived.
Cpl. Jeff Oberg of the Grand Chute police arrived on scene and suggested the store create a barrier to control the line. Ten purple Babies R Us shopping carts were turned upside down in a row to thwart line-jumpers. Staffers reopened the doors and customers were let in 50 at a time without further incident.
“It got rough for a little bit,” said store manager Chad Wojcik around 10:20 p.m. “We’ve got it in hand now. I’ll do carts again next year.”
A brutal wind whipped temperatures below zero most of the night, testing the temper of anyone who braved standing outside Fox Cities stores waiting for bargains and doorbuster deals.
Best Buy’s traditional line of tents and huddled, waiting customers appeared considerably shorter than the length of last year’s line.
Most shoppers, however, came prepared for the cold and kept their good spirits.
Father and son Ed and Tanner Van Asten of Grand Chute arrived about 11 a.m. Thanksgiving Day to be first in line at Best Buy in Grand Chute.
“We’re all crazy,” said Ed Van Asten on those who do this grueling Black Friday ritual. “I came for my son who needed a laptop. I’ll do anything for my kids.”
His recommendation for anyone wanting to do this in the future: “Get here before noon, dress in layers and no tennis shoes.”
And forget about Thanksgiving dinner.
“Our Thanksgiving is Sunday this year,” he said.
“My bottle of water froze in the first two hours,” said Angela Krause of Sherwood, who waited in line for five hours at Toys R Us. “I have hand warmers, blankets and a sleeping bag, so I don’t notice the cold.
“It’s worth it,” she said of what she endured to get bargain priced Lego and other toys for her child.
Another veteran Black Friday shopper, Amber Kirk of Menasha, had her own formula for staying warm.
“You need long underwear top and bottom, thick socks, a blanket, lots of layers, coffee and sugar. We have a bowl of candy in the car,” she said.
Her friend Jen Fischer of Menasha, a Black Friday first-timer, was so completely wrapped in a blanket, hat and scarves that just her eyes showed, giving her the appearance of wearing a middle eastern burqa.
“I love it,” she said of her Black Friday experience. “I thought I wouldn’t. I thought I’d be cranky, but I’m not.”
Shoppers snapped up lots of 50 to 80 percent off deals at the Fox River Mall, which had a handful of stores participating in its first midnight opening. It appeared that most customers at that time were under age 30.
“The stores that are open are very busy,” observed John Burgland, mall manager, around 1 a.m.
“There’s a special adrenaline high being here at midnight,” said shopper Lisa Van Dyke of Neenah.
A staffer repeatedly yelled, “back up” to those standing around the door. Customers who’d been waiting hours chanted “end of line” to those who’d just arrived.
Cpl. Jeff Oberg of the Grand Chute police arrived on scene and suggested the store create a barrier to control the line. Ten purple Babies R Us shopping carts were turned upside down in a row to thwart line-jumpers. Staffers reopened the doors and customers were let in 50 at a time without further incident.
“It got rough for a little bit,” said store manager Chad Wojcik around 10:20 p.m. “We’ve got it in hand now. I’ll do carts again next year.”
A brutal wind whipped temperatures below zero most of the night, testing the temper of anyone who braved standing outside Fox Cities stores waiting for bargains and doorbuster deals.
Best Buy’s traditional line of tents and huddled, waiting customers appeared considerably shorter than the length of last year’s line.
Most shoppers, however, came prepared for the cold and kept their good spirits.
Father and son Ed and Tanner Van Asten of Grand Chute arrived about 11 a.m. Thanksgiving Day to be first in line at Best Buy in Grand Chute.
“We’re all crazy,” said Ed Van Asten on those who do this grueling Black Friday ritual. “I came for my son who needed a laptop. I’ll do anything for my kids.”
His recommendation for anyone wanting to do this in the future: “Get here before noon, dress in layers and no tennis shoes.”
And forget about Thanksgiving dinner.
“Our Thanksgiving is Sunday this year,” he said.
“My bottle of water froze in the first two hours,” said Angela Krause of Sherwood, who waited in line for five hours at Toys R Us. “I have hand warmers, blankets and a sleeping bag, so I don’t notice the cold.
“It’s worth it,” she said of what she endured to get bargain priced Lego and other toys for her child.
Another veteran Black Friday shopper, Amber Kirk of Menasha, had her own formula for staying warm.
“You need long underwear top and bottom, thick socks, a blanket, lots of layers, coffee and sugar. We have a bowl of candy in the car,” she said.
Her friend Jen Fischer of Menasha, a Black Friday first-timer, was so completely wrapped in a blanket, hat and scarves that just her eyes showed, giving her the appearance of wearing a middle eastern burqa.
“I love it,” she said of her Black Friday experience. “I thought I wouldn’t. I thought I’d be cranky, but I’m not.”
Shoppers snapped up lots of 50 to 80 percent off deals at the Fox River Mall, which had a handful of stores participating in its first midnight opening. It appeared that most customers at that time were under age 30.
“The stores that are open are very busy,” observed John Burgland, mall manager, around 1 a.m.
“There’s a special adrenaline high being here at midnight,” said shopper Lisa Van Dyke of Neenah.
