The Frenzy After the Feast

Where to go? What time and what's on sale? These questions plague Black Friday shoppers every year. This year, Nov. 26 marks the day of deals when bargain hunters wait for hours outside their favorite stores, hoping to save hundreds.

The term "Black Friday" was not coined with the intention of creating a foreboding connotation. Quite the opposite is true. For a retailer, to be "in the black" means that they are out of debt and are "in the red," or showing a profit. The references refer to the red and black ink traditionally used in bookkeeping practices of yesteryear. In today's recovering economy, this year's Black Friday might just be the profit-making nudge that keeps some businesses going.

Several stores at South County Center have specials for Black Friday. The major retailers, commonly known as anchor stores, have sales for early shoppers.

Here's Patch's Black Friday guide for stores, hours and hot items:

Best Buy
Hours: 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Best Buy will feature the Wii Console Bundle at $169.99, an LG front-latch washer and dryer set at $999.98, a selection of Xbox and PS3 games $34.99 and a Sony laptop for $499.99 along with many other television, laptop and special cell phone offers.

Hours: 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. with specials running from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Standout items will be women's cashmere sweaters at $39.99, men's leather jackets at $99, a 5-piece leather set for $49.99 and kid's jackets for $15.99.  A savings pass is also available for the early shoppers. 

Old Navy
Hours: 12 a.m. to 11 p.m.

A selection of men's, women's and children's clothing can be found in the $5-$10 range. A collection of men's sweaters is priced at $15 each and girls' outerwear is 50 percent off.

Hours: 3 a.m. to 11 p.m., with an early bird special from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Over 624 items are specially priced for Black Friday. Many apparel items like men's cashmere sweaters are $39.99, men's Lee Regular Fit Jeans are $17.99 and men's St. John's Bay Puffer Vests are $12.99.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Dillard's opened their first store in 1938. Retailers in that era couldn't fathom a shopping spree holiday like Black Friday. Now, 315 stores later, Dillard's is joining in with cable sweaters at $14.99, polo sweaters at $34.99 and men's leather coats at $99.

Hours: 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. with sale hours from 4 a.m. to 12 p.m.

After arriving at Sears at 4 a.m. you may be able to buy a Kenmore ® 4 cubic-foot washer and a 7.3 cubic-foot dryer for a total of $599.98, less than half the normal price. They also feature a Samsung® 40" LED HDTV for $497.99. A $10 off of $50 coupon for purchases made before noon can be found on the in-store ad.

Santa and his helpers have already arrived and are settled in at South County Center. Kids receive stickers and a free child's meal with an adult meal coupon redeemable at various eateries in the mall. This year, South County Center is connecting with shoppers through their own eList program, Facebook, Twitter and other mobile applications to keep customers informed about their latest sales and deals.