Shoppers gobble up delicious bargains Thanksgiving night
D'IBERVILLE -- Balmy temperatures and a full moon had people in a festive mood Thanksgiving night, and ready to shop.
Long lines formed outside stores at The Promenade in D'Iberville, where for the first time in several years people didn't have to drive through road construction to get to the stores.
Certainly it did make it easier for shoppers, D'Iberville Police Chief Wayne Payne said.
"Traffic was heavy at times but people were able to get in and around," he said.
JC Penney at Edgewater Mall in Biloxi opened at 3 p.m., and by 3:30 lines had formed at South Mississippi movie theaters for those who chose a playful dinosaur or a monster over shopping.
At Michaels craft store at The Promenade, people in short sleeves went shopping for Christmas trees and snowmen when the store opened at 4 p.m.
That's about the time Ryan Albrecht of Kenosha, Wis., who is stationed in South Mississippi in the Navy, and his brother-in- law Paul Kostmayer of Biloxi set up chairs to be first in line at Dick's Sporting Goods.
"We were here last year for the same sale," Kostmayer said, and Alvrecht recalled, "Ooh, it was cold last year."
They came for a rifle, and entertained everyone in line while they waited.
Barbara Lee of Petal was next in line at Dick's and got the two bright-green kayaks on her list. Others in her family were first in line for the hoverboard at Kohil's and the sales at Wal-Mart.
"We had a game plan," she said. "All the must-haves."
VIDEO: Shoppers hurry in at Kohl's in D'Iberville
The line at Best Buy wrapped around the building and Ivan Rodriguez, the first in line, was there for 26 hours to be sure to get one of the TVs on sale. A 49-inch TV for $150 brought others out hours early, as well, as did with big reductions on tablets and game systems.
Most of the big stores opened at 6 p.m., including Kohl's at The Promenade.
Manager Bryan Shipman said he can tell from the opening-night sales what kind of shopping season to expect. Without road construction, "we're hoping for our best year," he said.
Jimmy Parker of Saucier said he was enjoying the Black Friday shopping as he and his wife filled two carts filled with toys for their seven children, while Barry and Christopher Kick of Gulfport worked their list of watch, jeans, socks, ties and more.
"We come every year," Barry Kick said. "Right here.
"I'll get $800 worth of stuff. It will be about $350."
The shopping marathon will take up the weekend -- on Friday, Dillard's and other stores that did not open on Thanksgiving will roll out their sales. That'll be followed by Small Business Saturday, when shoppers are encouraged to visit locally owned stores and restaurants to spread the holiday bucks around.
This story was originally published November 26, 2015 at 8:02 PM with the headline "Shoppers gobble up delicious bargains Thanksgiving night ."