Residents rush to stores on ‘Gray Thursday’

Luis Delgado is as loyal as a Cowboys fan can be. He watches games from a chair he bought from the old Texas Stadium, and it sits on artificial turf in his living room.

Until Thanksgiving, the Hurst resident had never left a game unwatched. But the allure of what’s being called “Gray Thursday” was too powerful. He broke his game-watching streak to go to Wal-Mart to buy two laptops for $178 each.

“I expected they’d have the Cowboys game on,” Delgado said, shaking his head. “But they don’t.”

Retailers like Toys R Us opened their doors as early as 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving, while Wal-Mart and Best Buy opened at 6 p.m. and other big-box retailers opened at 8 p.m., starting Black Friday shopping several hours earlier than last year.

The decision to open stores when people would otherwise still be enjoying dinner has drawn criticism.

Former Wal-Mart employee Samantha Carter scoffed as she walked into Wal-Mart with her mom, Liz, who had her eyes on a 32-inch TV for $98 for her younger daughter.

“I don’t think people should have to be here this early, working,” Carter said. “I think they should be able to stay at home with their families.”

The Richland Hills resident said she went to the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Hurst to protect her mom from shoppers who “get greedy and crazy.”

Police stood outside and throughout the inside of the store while employees stood in front of aisles sectioned off with yellow “Caution” tape. Appliances bundled in plastic wrap were ripped open when the clock hit 6 p.m.

Mukhtar Ahmed clasped his hands over his mouth as he shivered outside Best Buy. Ahmed and his cousin Ahmed Saleh had waited in line since 2 p.m. Wednesday so they could buy laptops and a 55-inch TV for $499, a $500 discount.

The cousins brought chairs and blankets, but overnight Wednesday they ditched the cold weather and slept in the car. Instead of eating Thanksgiving dinner at home in Bedford, they had a friend bring fast food.

“People in line cooperate with each other,” Ahmed said.

He said he and his cousin didn’t have to worry about someone stealing their spots. When people wait in line more than 24 hours, they form a common understanding, he said.

Enjoying the scene

The line at Best Buy wrapped all the way around to the back of the building, where brothers Bryan and Chris Tony of Hurst stood.

They hoped the retailer would have the PlayStation 4 — an item that has been sold out for weeks.

“We’re also here for the atmosphere,” Chris Tony said, chuckling.

Bryan Tony said he doesn’t think earlier store openings are a big deal because the holiday isn’t as sacred as Christmas and they may help families use their money more wisely.

Single mom Laura Moore and daughter Mackenzie Moore, 16, started their shopping day at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving at Toys R Us.

After doing shopping for her 8-year-old daughter, Laura Moore headed to North East Mall with Mackenzie to hit Victoria’s Secret and Macy’s to buy items for the third sister, a 15-year-old who ate Thanksgiving dinner with the youngest at their dad’s house.

The mother and daughter, from Rhome, have spent the past four years shopping early to grab specials for Christmas. This year, they decided to eat dinner at the food court in the mall.

“I did this to avoid Black Friday,” Laura Moore said outside the mall. “But it’s getting worse and worse every year. People just knock into you.”

‘Controlled chaos’

It was “controlled chaos” at Kohl’s in North Richland Hills on Thursday when about 1,500 shoppers rushed through the doors at 8 p.m., store manager Mike Rowe said.

Husband and wife Michael and Veronica Luna of Bedford brought their son Cristian, 17, and niece Sarah Avila, 10, to Kohl’s to shop for a few 32-inch LED TVs for $139 each.

Veronica Luna had stood in line since 5 p.m. to snag the first spot, and her niece, who lives in El Paso, joined them later as the couple shopped for items for their first home.

Besides the TVs, their list included a griddle for pancakes.

Jennifer Yarber and her husband, Greg, got the biggest steal on Thanksgiving, and patience had nothing to do with it.

The couple received $106 worth of toys when their Kohl’s cashier surprised them as “Dream Receipt” winners. Through the holiday promotion, the store picks up the cost of a customer’s entire cart.

“We are just going to save the money,” Jennifer Yarber said in shock. “This is really cool.”

Rowe said the deal will last through Christmas, and he doesn’t expect the early-opening trend to end anytime soon.

“I don’t see it as an intrusion on family life. I think this is a normal evolution from a business standpoint,” Rowe said. “It makes total sense.”

This story was originally published November 28, 2013 at 10:04 PM with the headline "Residents rush to stores on ‘Gray Thursday’."