Kadena shoppers brace for Black Friday

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jason Lake
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
Kadena Air Base, Japan --  Black Friday, America's biggest shopping day of the year, is upon us.

Coined by Philadelphia police officers and bus drivers in the 1960s, the term "Black Friday" was originally used to describe the traffic jams and over-crowded crosswalks that resulted from the massive number of holiday shoppers after Thanksgiving Day.

While Kadena shoppers won't be able to line up at their local Best Buy or Wal-Mart at 5 a.m. this year, there still are some alternatives.

Robert Rice, manager for Kadena's shopping center, said the Kadena shopping center will open its doors at 4 a.m. in preparation for a massive line of shoppers waiting to get inside the base exchange.

"Last year the line of people went all the way around the old BX," Mr. Rice explained. "There were people who started lining up to shop during the early morning hours. So this year, we will open the bottom floor of the shopping center at 4 a.m. so shoppers can eat breakfast in the food court and get out of the weather if they need to."

The base exchange will open its doors to shoppers at 7 a.m. and, like retail stores stateside, will offer significant discounts on a variety of items. Mr. Rice said early bird shoppers will have the chance to buy some of the most deeply discounted items after receiving a ticket from the staff. Quantities of these items will be limited.

"This is the biggest retail event of the year," Mr. Rice said. "We typically make a week's worth of sales in just this one day."

Some of the items up for grabs this year include a Gateway mini-notebook, a 32" HCT flatscreen LCD television and an HP Athlon II laptop with 3 GB of RAM.

Mr. Rice urged shoppers to check www.AAFES.com to get a peek at Kadena's Black Friday advertisement. He added that there will also be additional sales events on Saturday and Sunday for shoppers who want to avoid the large crowds.

Another option veteran overseas shoppers have grown accustomed to over the years is online shopping.
Capt. McKay Balog, a five-year veteran online shopper, has most of her shopping done before Black Friday.

"I haven't been in the states for a long time on a Black Friday, and if I was, I'm pretty sure I'd stay miles away from anywhere that was having a sale," she said. "I don't like the huge crowds."

The 18th Wing's sexual assault response coordinator said she gets her savings by searching for online coupons at sites like www.retailmenot.com to get discounts at retail stores and free shipping.

Shoppers can also check out Black Friday sales at most of the major retail stores in advance by searching online for "Black Friday ads."

According to information provided by www.black-friday.net, overseas online shoppers may have an advantage due to the time difference. While shoppers in the states are waking up at 1 a.m. Eastern Time for special sales online at Wal-Mart or Best Buy on Thanksgiving Day, Kadena shoppers can casually check their computers around 3 p.m. before eating their Thanksgiving dinner.

Master Sgt. Benjamin Adcock from the 67th Fighter Squadron said holiday shoppers might also want to explore some of the local stores in Okinawa to send friends and family novelty gifts.

"Off base we will try to find some island-specific gifts for family," he said. "I would like to look for pottery, art and hand crafted items are always a good find. We might brave Kokusai Street in Naha. There are lots of unique shops there and you never know what you will come across."

Regardless of our plans for Black Friday 2009, it's imperative that Kadena shoppers keep their common sense factor high and credit card balances low.

Remember, Cyber Monday is just around the corner ...