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Ann Arbor Resident Follows Strict Routine With Black Friday Shopping Plans

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Black Friday actually started on Wednesday for one area woman who works and shops in Ann Arbor.  That means Thanksgiving dinner has been pushed back a day to accommodate her holiday shopping tradition.

Confused?  Nikki Dodson isn't.  This has been her Thanksgiving holiday shopping routine for the past 20 years.  Armed with apps and coupons and the knowledge of what area store opens exactly at what time, she kicked off her Black Friday shopping online at midnight Wednesday.

Why does she do it?

"I think the adrenaline rush, the craziness. I'm one of those people that have the different apps on her phone and I get everything. You know, I'm weeks preparing with color-coordinated lists and I tell my people where to go, where they need to be at. You know, I go the day before, the sales that hit, to see where they're setting up everything. Some places have maps online already, but then, you have the other stores where you kind of have to see where everything is, so I can prepare for that.

Thursday Thanksgiving Day shopping was based on a strict schedule of which store to be at when and which money-saving deals she planned to go for.

With several teenagers to buy for, Dodson says her holiday savings strategy pays off.

"So, a lot of good deals. I probably save anywhere from $1000 to $2000 each year."

But she says this is not a shopping plan for the weak, adding sometimes Black Friday bargain hunting can get ugly.

"It is dangerous! You have to be ready to go, because people are very aggressive, and they want what they want. Like, a lot of the stuff is wrapped in a black, plastic wrap, and people will start cutting it off early. It's like a free-for-all. People are jumping on heads and fighting and stealing things out of cars. It gets ugly!

Because of her highly coordinated sale shopping schedule, she says she and her family decided it worked better for everyone to celebrate Thanksgiving a day later.

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— Lisa Barry is a reporter, and host of All Things Considered on 89.1 WEMU. Contact her at 734.487.3363, on twitter @LisaWEMU, or email her lbarryma@emich.edu

Lisa Barry was a reporter, and host of All Things Considered on 89.1 WEMU.
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