WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY | Toys R Us opens extra early for Black Friday

Toys R Us opens extra early for Black Friday

By Chris McGill - bio | email 
Posted by Charles Gazaway - email

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - While most stores opened before dawn, some as early as 4 a.m., the Toys R Us chain decided to do something different this year opening their doors to Black Friday shoppers at the stroke of midnight. At the Shelbyville Road store next to the Mall St. Matthews, an estimated 3,000 people were in line waiting to catch the early morning deals.

By 5 a.m., the mad rush to shop had died down a bit. Shoppers Kim Dennison and her sister had already spent close to four hours shopping and were pleased with the crowds.

"Yea it was good at lot better than its been in the past," said Dennison.

Black Friday shopping can sometimes mean long lines and huge crowds, so it's not for everyone. But for a few shoppers, it's the only way to go.

"I love shopping," said Stephanie Morris. "It doesn't have to be today, I can do it any day. But it's just the adrenaline of being able to find the certain something and a certain deal that everybody else is wanting and you got it."

There were several hot items that people were struggling to purchase on Friday morning. The ever popular Wii games and accessories are still popular and a brand new toy that's just about as popular as the old Cabbage Patch Kids were a couple of decades ago, the Zhu Zhu pets.

"It's a hamster that you put a battery in as opposed to feeding and you build little communities," said Jeff Morris, manager of Toys R Us. "There's all kinds of accessories available. It's just the hottest item of the year."

Due to the store opening at midnight, crowds were a bit lighter in the early morning hours. By mid-morning, it looked like a typical busy day after Thanksgiving shopping crowd with very few parking spaces left.

Large crowds are expected throughout the first official weekend of holiday shopping. If you plan on going out this weekend be sure to take your patience with you along with your wallet.

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