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mcovington@beaufortgazette.com
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Bundled in winter coats and carrying store circulars touting door-buster deals, Beaufort shoppers lined up before sunrise Friday determined to beat the rush for big gift items at rock-bottom prices.
Local shoppers jockey for Black Friday discounts
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Many shoppers said the sagging economy forced them to cut gift lists this year and tighten holiday budgets. Grabbing a $400 laptop or a 50-inch plasma television for less than $800 would help stretch wallets further, they said.
Discounts meant more than sleep to Aliyah Jackson, 20, of Beaufort. When Jackson got in line at Best Buy at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, there were about 15 people there. By 3:30 a.m. Friday, when employees began passing out reservation tickets for special items, there were nearly 100.
Out for her first Black Friday in Beaufort, Jackson found the crowd at the door much tamer than expected. She felt confident about getting the laptop she had been eyeing for a week on the store Web site.
"In New York, there were so many people, you could feel it," said Jackson, who moved to Beaufort in 2005. "The floor would start shaking."
The atmosphere was even calmer at the locally owned, independent stores on Bay Street. Shoppers strolled easily from shop to shop around 11 a.m., enjoying clear skies and milder temperatures.
Charlotte resident Lewis Nelson, 24, traveled to Savannah for Thanksgiving and made sure to stop at Bay Street on his way back.
"There's nothing frantic about shopping over here," said Nelson, who plans to save his big-item shopping for the Internet. "Plus, everything is so unique. I can always find something special here for my mom."
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