While lounging in a neon orange fold out chair in front of a Little Rock Best Buy, Dan Merritt suggested a headline for this story: “Local idiot stands in cold.”
Merritt, who has been posted outside the electronics store since 6:30 a.m., said he was persuaded by his friend, William Woods, to wake up early and get a head start on Black Friday deals. At 9 a.m., the duo are second and third in a line of three outside a Best Buy at 11800 Chenal Parkway, and Merritt stated the obvious.
“We got here too early,” he said.
He and Woods, who are both eager to buy TVs at slashed prices, said the line is not nearly as long as they expected it to be. In previous years, Woods said, folks arrived at big box stores the night before Thanksgiving and huddled together for more than a dozen hours.
Woods said he does not mind the quiet this year, and he came prepared to keep himself busy until the doors finally open at 5 p.m.
“I’ve got Pokemon and Mountain Dew,” he said.
“We can always spoon for warmth,” Merritt chimed in, laughing.
Bryant Smith, who sat first in line, said he was shocked and disappointed to see no one camping out when he pulled up Thursday morning.
“I could have slept in,” he said.
Smith said he’s got his phone and “munchies” like a bag of Doritos to keep him entertained throughout the day. He’s a patient guy, he said, who is skilled at ignoring the passing time.
Outside a North Little Rock Best Buy, two sisters clad in hoodies, parkas and zebra-print blankets said Black Friday shopping has become something of a family tradition.
SheNee Ross said she and her family have been marathon shopping during Thanksgiving for the past three years, though this is the first time they earned the coveted first-in-line spot.
Ross said their crew was equipped with snacks such as chips and Gatorade, though they try to keep drinking to a minimum because of the limited bathroom options. Mostly, she said, Black Friday shopping is a way to get their family out of the house and spend time together.
“We’ve always got to do something, go somewhere,” Ross said.
