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Bargain hunters swarm Kmart
for Thanksgiving Day deals
Wade Nakamura of Hawaii Kai wanted to be at the Kmart on North Nimitz Highway before 9 a.m. to score three bargain-priced Douglas firs.
By 10 a.m., Nakamura was rolling out of the crowded Kmart parking lot, where other cars were endlessly orbiting for a parking spot, with three 6- to 7-foot trees he bought for $19.99 each stacked in the bed of his silver Nissan truck.
Yesterday morning, as others stuffed and trussed turkeys, serious bargain hunters hit Kmart for its Thanksgiving Day sale that began at 6 a.m. While the day after Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the busier shopping days of the holiday season with the lure of mind-numbing sales, some retailers are feeding the frenzy a day earlier.
Contrary to popular belief, the busiest day of the holiday shopping season is the last weekend day before Christmas, according to retail experts.
Linda Doo and her daughter, Britni Doo, stocked up on Christmas items.
"The tree is half-priced, and it's just what I want,'' she said.
Marilou Asert, 42, a Kmart door greeter dressed in a red smock, stood handing out piles of store circulars to customers as they pushed past her in search of bargains.
"People were lined up outside before the store opened," Asert said. "The parking lot was full by 6 o'clock."
Asert said the store advertised opening at 7 a.m. for the sale, but it opened an hour earlier to accommodate the waiting crowds.
Tracy Yamamoto and her brother, Jason Yamamoto, loaded a Christmas tree they bought yesterday from Kmart on North Nimitz Highway into their car.
"It was madness here at 6 a.m. There was honking and arguing in the parking lot," said Jayson Calaro, department manager for furniture, who was shellacked with sweat as he wheeled a hand cart stacked with more televisions down the crowded aisles.
"My TV is broken, so I was happy when I saw this one," said Mel Sanchez, 29, of Honolulu as he tried to navigate a shopping cart loaded with his TV through the crowds toward the register.
Joe Kwan, 19, arrived early to buy a bicycle to replace one stolen recently from his back yard. He circled a stack of cardboard boxes containing unassembled 26-inch Huffy 18-speed bikes priced at $49.99.
"This is a really good price," said Kwan as he picked inside a box, checking to see if all the parts were included.
Sandra Oshiro, 29, of Aina Haina arrived with her sister and nephew, and they fanned out across the store. She loaded a cart with Diet Coke, selling at two 12-packs for $5. For gifts, she loaded up on bath baskets filled with candy-colored bottles of bath products and sponges, priced at 40 percent off. She also stocked up on children's games that were priced at $21.99 but sold yesterday as "buy one, get one free."
"That's a real deal. Two games for $21.99," said Oshiro, smiling. "I like the good deals. But I'm not one of those people who gets here at 6 a.m. That's crazy."
