The popularity of online shopping, stores spreading out their seasonal sales and even forecast rain have all failed to dampen the enthusiasm of a Florida shopper who is attempting a two-week camp-out in order to land himself a bargain.
On 11 November, Derek De Armond, 55, pitched a three-room tent (with air conditioning and TV) outside the door of a Best Buy electronics store in Fort Myers, Florida. He plans to be first through the doors when they open for the traditional Thanksgiving sale – on Thanksgiving Day itself. Then he plans to give his main purchase to charity.
De Armond has been going to work every day at the local newspaper, where he is a press operator. While he does so, a team of friends hold his canvas-covered space in line. To pass the time when on line, De Armond plays dominoes with friends and serves them from a tiki bar he has set up inside his spacious tent.
He only goes home to take a shower and use the bathroom.
“We barbecue every night, we invite people in, we’ve made new friends,” he told the New York Times.
De Armond’s target is a “doorbusters deal” – a 42in flatscreen television which will be priced at $199 instead of $799.99 for the first few shoppers through the door when the Best Buy sale begins.
Advance queuing for “Black Friday” – the day pre-Christmas sales traditionally begin in the US, the day after Thanksgiving – is not unusual. But it has become less common in recent years, thanks to the boom in online shopping and stores spreading their sales, to prevent chaotic stampedes as well as to promote spending.
Many shoppers also dislike the modern phenomenon of stores opening on Thanksgiving itself. De Armond has solved that one too – his family intends to join him in his tent for the traditional meal on Thanksgiving day, before Best Buy opens at 5pm and he can wade in to buy the television. He intends to donate it to a school.
He also has his eye on an iPad that will be selling for $100 off list price.
The National Retail Federation is predicting retail sales will rise by 4.1% to $616.9bn in this pre-Christmas season.
