Black Friday: Shoppers plot strategy for big day

We all know that person who wakes up in the early hours the day after Thanksgiving, fuels up with coffee and heads into the cold to jostle through crowds for the best doorbuster deal.

But for many, Black Friday is more than a shopping spree. It's a family tradition.

Jessica Andersen, 32, of Cedar Rapids, said she and her mother, mother-in-law and sister-in-law have been Black Friday shopping for the last six years.

It started with a desire for great savings, but since has morphed into a pretext for great times with family.

'It's great to save money, but at this point it's about the four of us going out and doing something together that we do every year,' she said. 'For us, as girls who enjoy shopping, there's nothing better than being able to shop all night long. That's kind of a dream come true.'

Such an endeavor — which began about 10 p.m. Thursday — requires meticulous preparation. Andersen and her shopping squad planned to start at Tanger Outlet in Williamsburg, then head east to Coralville to stores like Best Buy and Target and next head north to Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids.

When all the shopping is done, it's typically off to get this year's Christmas tree before going home for much needed sleep, she said.

'We found we have a pretty strong system,' she said. 'We have a rhythm, it's like a well-oiled machine.'

Jordan Anderson, 24, of Cedar Rapids, said he has been going Black Friday shopping for at least the last five years. He stressed that when it comes to planning for Black Friday, there is no room for half measures.

'I am a big believer of having everything ready before I go out,' he said. 'Black Friday is not window-shopping.'

As early as a month beforehand, Anderson begins checking ads and online chatter for deals, often focusing on movies or electronics.

With family and friends often joining in, he said Black Friday has become a mix of savings and tradition.

'My little brother or other family would come along, so it's kind of an event, but I also like the deals,' he said.

For the last 13 years or so, Oxford's Jean Winstrom, 32, has been going out for Black Friday shopping in Iowa City and Coralville with her mom, Marlene Kluxdahl.

For Winstrom, Black Friday also has become more about spending time with family.

'I'm primarily out there for the tradition and family time, if we don't get stuff it's no big deal,' she said. 'I'm not really looking for anything special this year. I'm just along for the ride.'

While Kluxdahl and Winstrom are out shopping, Arlene Miller, 77, Kluxdahl's mom, has her own role — holding down the fort back home watching as many as five kids and grandchildren.

Miller, who said she prefers to avoid the big crowds, said last year was her first attempt to go shopping on Black Friday, an experience she summed up with one word: 'Crazy.'