If you are looking for a 10 year veterans tips and tricks to getting the most in the least amount of time on Black Friday at Coralridge Mall, then you have come to the right place.
Bargains are many and varied at this mall on the day most know as Black Friday but with a few “in the know” tips under your belt and a handful of coupons along with some plastic you can beat all the crowds, breeze in and out with finesse and end up with some killer bargains before 10 am!
The first thing to do is to plan your mall trip around the most important thing on your list as well as that bargain that is the most attainable. To be brutally honest here, there are some stores it simply isn’t worth your time, trouble or the price of Aleve to stand in line for the “Chance” at some of their so called deals.
On such store is BEST BUY. Now don’t get me wrong, BEST BUY has some great deals but there is a slimmer chance of getting one of their door buster sale items than there is of having a tornado in December here in Iowa. In all of my years hitting the sales here, I have only met ONE person who actually found an advertised door buster item on the shelf when they entered the store and believe it or not, at least a dozen of these people were some of the first few to enter the store. No one knows where the door busters end up but as of this post, I have yet to see an item in the hands of a shopper from BEST BUY, but I do hear time and time again what a waste of time it was waiting in line.
Another store that has a bad rep for not having in stock items they advertise is the superstore just across the highway. I won’t list the name here, but if you look to the north, you’ll see it. Give it a wide berth until after 10 if you really want to go there. Any earlier and you risk the chance of being beaten to a pulp by bargain hunters and greedies galore. Enuf said!
On the other hand, if you want to get in and out of the mall in record time and still score some deals here are a few tips to help you in your quest to finish your list.
PARKING:
Park in between YOUNKERS and Dillards if possible or on the east side of Younkers. Both places are ignored for much of the morning and they afford easy access to much of the mall.
Park on the south side of the mall by the movie theatres. Again, you will be in an less used area and you may have to walk a bit but it is worth the walk for the ease of parking found there.
SHOPPING GOODIES:
Be sure to go into JCPenney on the North side of the mall. (the side closest to the interstate) and stop at the catalogue department. They give away snow globes every year and this is where you need to get one. Don’t miss them, they are a nice goodie for the kid in your life. And free is always good in my house!
Get the morning Cedar Rapids Gazette or Iowa City Press Citizen on Thanksgiving day. In them you will find some great coupons for YOUNKERS after Thanksgiving sale. In years past there were coupons for $10 off any item. It is well worth the price of a paper for the coupon. And don’t forget to ask your neighbor who hates crowds for hers, you can use as many as you want, as long as they are one to an item. Definitely worth checking the paper out and collecting the cards!
Make a list and stick to it. Entering YOUNKERS make a hard right and go around the store counter clockwise. It is odd but there is less traffice counter clockwise than clockwise and the checkouts in the china, housewares and juniors department always seem to have the smaller lines. Use them to your benefit.
As you enter the mall from YOUNKERS make a left passing Kay Jewelers. Go to Bath and Body works and enjoy the bargains you find there. They rarely have coupons but here is a link for $10 off any $30 purchase. something you can use when you hit the bargains that day!
And if you are looking for a great gift for anyone on your list, look no further than YANKEE CANDLE on the east side of Santa’s house. With this coupon for $10 off any $25 purchase, you are bound to go home with a smile on your face and names checked off your list for a fraction of the price!
OLD NAVY always has some fantastic bargains and goodies for early bird shoppers. This year I hear they are giving away an MP3 player with purchase. I’m sure it isn’t of IPOD quality but it might be a great stocking stuffer for the casual walker or kid in your life, and after all if you need to be there anyway, why not score a freebie!
Now this is just a sampling of all the bargains and tips on getting the best bang for your buck at Coralridge mall by far, but trust me when I say, if you go with these basic rules for Black Friday, park in the best spot and make your coupons work for you, you’ll come out of the mall in record time with the lions share of your shopping done. It’s easy once you know the tricks. Good luck and may the best shopper win!
