Vignettes Of Black Friday

With promotions, discounts and doorbusters already well under way on Thanksgiving Day itself, many big-box retailers are making Black Friday stretch longer than ever.  The Lede is checking out the mood of American consumers in occasional vignettes Thursday and Friday as the economically critical holiday shopping season kicks off.

Shoppers waiting outside Sam’s Club in Eagan, Minn., for Friday’s 7 a.m. opening clung to free Starbuck’s Holiday Blend coffee as they endured freezing temperatures and biting winds and collected brightly colored vouchers for laptops and big-screen TVs.

The biggest draw: a 96-cent Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.  Once inside, they also beelined for tickets for the 63 Samsungs in stock, which sold out shortly after the store opened.  Customers could make an appointment for later in the day or another day to purchase the phone, choosing from three carriers, Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint.

“O.K., this is my last blue for Sprint,” an employee called out at 7:08 a.m.

Read more:  http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/22/coverage-of-black-friday/?hp

Target Steals Title Of ‘Cheapest’ From Wal-Mart

English: Logo of Target, US-based retail chain (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  There is a very good video to watch if you click on the link below.

For the first time since October, Target gas reclaimed the title  of  ”cheapest” from its fellow big-box retailer, Bloomberg reported, and the gap was the biggest its been in the two years the difference has been tracked.

That’s especially important in today’s economy, as cheap is exactly what consumers are looking for.  High unemployment, coupled with rising gas and food prices, means customers are as cash-conscious as ever.  And while retail sales finally improved in July, that was one of the first good signs for the sector in months.

Both companies have thus been trying to lure in those penny-pinching customers with discounts and slashed prices. The key to Target’s success in the pricing department  came from the addition of groceries to many stores, which cut into Wal-Mart‘s advantage on food prices.  The company has also added discount incentives through its REDCard.

Read more: http://money.msn.com/top-stocks/post.aspx?post=84caede6-927a-488e-842c-322ae9654306

America’s Least-Favorite Supermarkets

Editor’s note:  This is SPOT ON!  There are a number of Pennsylvania grocery store chains on the list that you will recognize instantly:

The biggest complaint: too few open checkouts, followed by crowded or dirty aisles.

Shoppers were surveyed on four categories: service (including employee courtesy and checkout speed); perishables (food quality); price and cleanliness.

The highest-rated supermarket chain was Wegmans Food Markets, headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., and operating 75 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Virginia and Maryland.

Read more to see the wall of shame: http://money.msn.com/investment-advice/americas-least-favorite-supermarkets

Pottstown Walmart Supercenter Taking Shape

Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

POTTSTOWN, PA  - By the end of summer, the Pottstown Walmart store is going to be a whole lot bigger.

In fact, it’s going to be super.

For the past four months, construction crews have been working on the expansion of the Walmart store in the Pottstown Center, Route 100 and Shoemaker Road, into a Supercenter. In addition to work being done inside and outside the store to grow the Walmart by 55,000 square feet into a SuperCenter - basically a Walmart that includes a full grocery store – the shopping center’s parking lot is also under construction.

That will mean 55,000 square feet of new construction will be added to Pottstown’s tax rolls after the property is reassessed when the construction is complete.

Read more: http://business-news.thestreet.com/the-times-herald/story/pottstown-walmart-supercenter-taking-shape-3/1

Nude Man Tasered At Exton Walmart

Only at Walmart

WEST WHITELAND TOWNSHIP, PA— Police were called to the scene of the Exton Walmart Wednesday evening after a man entered the store fully nude, according to police reports.

Police say Verdon Lamont Taylor, 32, of Downingtown, parked his vehicle outside the store and then stripped off all his clothing before he entered the store and approached the customer service desk. Taylor allegedly stole a pair of socks and put them on before walking deeper into the store, police said.

Read more: http://www.timesherald.com/article/20120217/NEWS03/120219694/1007/NEWS

Limerick Acme To Close In February

Acme closed their Collegeville Shopping Center store and moved it to 31 W. Ridge Pike, next to the new Court At Upper Providence Shopping Center, a few years ago.  Now it would seem the “new store” is under performing due to competition from Giant, Target and Wegman’s and will close by the end of February.

With the departure of Acme from Ridge Pike, the closest Acme stores within a 20 mile radius of zip code 19468 are Phoenixville, Norristown, Lansdale and King of Prussia.

The Wayne Acme is also on the chopping block along with three stores in New Jersey and one in Maryland.

Another big empty building!  Ironically, the old store in Collegeville was doing much better!  Just proves the grass is not always greener!

61 Year Old Suburban Atlanta Man Slaps Stranger’s Child At Wallyworld!

This is one for the WTF were you thinking category.  It’s one thing to slap you own kids but grabbing a stranger’s two year and and slapping her face four times at Wallyworld is quite another.  Evidently the toddler would not stop crying and the mother didn’t handle her business fast enough to suit Grandpa Walton so he took matters into his own hands (no pun intended).

He was arrested thankfully.  The child is okay.  Somebody needs some anger management.