It's official: Thanksgiving Day shopping is a hit in the Valley

BOARDMAN

Although the trend of shopping on Thanksgiving for a few hours before Black Friday is fairly new, you could call Jason Gennaro of Lowellville a veteran.

Gennaro was sitting in a chair in front of the Boardman-Poland Road Best Buy at about 2 p.m. Thursday, one of about 10 people in line to get ready for the store’s 8 p.m. opening for special sales geared to kick-start the Christmas holiday shopping season.

Gennaro said he has been shopping on Thanksgiving for the last four years and he even has a system down. He said it is important to have a “buddy” to save your place in line and to help you take care of “necessary business.”

“You need people to watch when you’re going to the bathroom or going to get something to eat,” Gennaro said.

Best Buy was not the only place open, as shoppers came to several area stores that decided to open for a few hours on Thanksgiving night to augment their Black Friday sales.

Gennaro had a lot of company Thursday, as the parking lot at Best Buy was packed with cars, and lines formed outside Southern Park Mall, which opened at 8 p.m. There was a festive mood in some of the lines despite the cold, with some shoppers dancing and singing as they waited for the doors to open.

Courtney Stacy and Caitlin Sheridan, both of Austintown, were lined up outside waiting for the doors to open.

Read more about the fun and madness in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.