Early lines for Black Friday sale

THURSDAY, NOV. 22: By 10am today, the first Black Friday customer was already waiting in line, sitting on her stool chatting with friends as they passed by.

By noon she was joined by two men outside the Digicel Church Street store and by 4pm the line had stretched to 17 people.

She was like a mother hen herding her chicks as the line was moved from Church Street to the Washington Mall side of the store, making sure everyone behaved and didn’t act like “hooligans”.

What in the world would possess someone to get in line a full 14 hours before Digicel was to open for its Black Friday sale?

The woman, who didn’t want to give her name, said: “I’m doing it for my sister because my sister wants to get the Galaxy Tab. I’m not working so she asked me to do it.”

She said the 14-hour wait “isn’t long. Plus there’s nothing good on cable because they’re showing repeats so I’m alright. Plus this is more fun.”

The lady added that they planned on ordering pizza and eating it there and if people needed to go use the bathroom, they will look out for each other’s spots and save them.

Enrico Durrant, who was third in line, said: “I want to get my phone. I ain’t got a phone. I want the BlackBerry Bold 9990 for $59 and you get a free Blackberry playbook on top of that.

“I’ve been here since 12 — we’re like soldiers. We’re hanging in there.”

He said for the next eight hours until Digicel opens at 12:01am, he’s going to “chill, flex, take a little nap or whatever there is to do.”

Shane Mora, marketing manager for Digicel, said the company was “definitely surprised at the early turnout.

“We knew based on the last couple of years that people would come early but we had no idea they would come this early.

“We’re surprised but we’re happy. All retailers, not just Digicel, everyone is trying to maximize on Black Friday. Retail sales for the past couple of years has been towards the downside so days like today are important for all retailers and Digicel as we will receive a nice bump in sales.

“These people are lined up early because they want to take advantage of the sales pricing we have on devices.”