Howard County Black Friday Guide

Find out what special sales shops around the county are having.

Howard County Black Friday Guide

Local and area businesses host sales on Black Friday, Nov. 23.

A Shop 'Til You Drop 2012 Holiday Season

Early Thanksgiving means more shopping time.

While you may just be putting the Halloween decorations away, retailers are already getting out the Christmas trees, Hanukkah menorahs and Kwanzaa candleholders, prepping for the longest holiday shopping season possible. For decades, now, Black Friday has heralded the start to the month-long holiday shopping season. Thanksgiving, celebrated the fourth Thursday in November since 1941 when Congress passed a law, falls on Nov. 22 this year, which means that there are a whopping 32 days of shopping, assuming you are not the type who buys gifts of lottery tickets and beef jerky from the convenience store on the way to your Christmas celebration. In that case, you have 32 days during which to procrastinate. According to the National Retail …

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Black Friday Guide - Howard County

Check out Black Friday sales at major retailers and small businesses around the county.

  Black Friday can be a tortorous event. On the one hand there are (occasionally dangerous) crowds at major retailers and outlets, but at the same time there are some great sales. This year, many large retailers such as Target and Walmart are opening on Thanksgiving evening, giving early bird shoppers the opportunity to shop until they drop—quite literally if they've had enough turkey. In addition, many local small businesses will be offering sales on their products. Below, we've compiled a list of local major retailers and small businesses that are offering Black Friday sales around Howard County on Nov. 23. For the big shops, you can click on the link in their name to view their full Black Friday flyers. Patch will continue to update …

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Columbia Mall Customers, Retailers Embrace Earlier Black Friday Shopping Hours

Midnight opening at The Mall in Columbia is a trend that will continue, according to a mall official.

Despite some national outcry from both consumers and store employees, earlier Black Friday shopping hours are here to stay, if the crowds at The Mall in Columbia are any indication. "The crowds we had this year are a good indicator that the trend will continue," mall General Manager Katie Essing said. "The stores did well." For the second year, mall officials gave retailers the opportunity to open at midnight, and 20 stores — up from about a dozen last year — took advantage of that chance, according to Essing. Macy's joined the midnight brigade this year, which no doubt helped bring customers to the retail center, Essing said. "We heard from all 20 stores that it was successful and worthwhile," Essing said of the mall's midnight opening. …

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Marge Neal

9:42 am on Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Ohai, Thanks for pointing that out. The editing process removed the first reference to mall General Manager Katie Essing; it's been fixed. — Marge   more ›

Readers Sound Off on 'Christmas Creep' Shopping Deals

Have retailers gone too far this year?

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Shopping Commences! Black Friday Deals Draw Crowds

Shoppers flocked to The Mall in Columbia.

Macy's at The Mall in Columbia, a major shopping attraction in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore suburbs, attracted hundreds of bargain hunters who lined up for deals on jewelry, clothing, luggage and other goods Thanksgiving night. The store was set to open at midnight in what some have called an encroachment on Thanksgiving's spirit of family togetherness. Others say they welcome not having to get up for 5 a.m. doorbusters.

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Poll: Will You Trade Thanksgiving Family Time For Holiday Deals?

Stores are competing for consumers looking for deals in a tough economy.

It appears holiday promotions will be more aggressive than ever this year. Walmart, Toys "R" Us and Gap are among the retailers who have said they’ll be open Thanksgiving Day. Target, Macy’s, Kohls and Best Buy will open at midnight for Black Friday deals, according to the Contra Costa Times, which said it was only a few years ago when Black Friday didn’t start until 5 a.m. And the promotions for Christmas shopping are already well underway. The week after Halloween, Arundel Mills had its Santa house up and running. Mr. Claus started making the rounds in the Mall at Columbia on Nov. 11. Costco started its Christmas decorating in August, according to The Consumerist, a subsidiary of Consumer Reports. Will you be shopping on Thanksgiving? …

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