Tucson Black Friday shopping: No sweat

By 7:15 p.m. on Thanksgiving, there were about 5,000 people lined up at Park Place, said Brighid Brown, the mall’s spokeswoman. That line grew by a couple of thousand by 8 p.m. when 39 of the mall’s stores opened. Friday morning shoppers arrived steadily, though it wasn’t the frenzy of Black Fridays past.

At Kohl’s the scene was similar. Shana Nunez, a Kohl’s executive at 199 N. Pantano Road, said shoppers waiting for the 8 p.m. Thanksgiving opening lined up around the building. Friday, the store was still busy despite being open all night. “It comes in waves,” she said. “Now we’re getting the traditional shoppers.”

Family tradition brought out shoppers like Tucson Realtor Kay Calendine and her mother, Nancy Smith, a retiree, to Park Place on Black Friday. It was extra special this year because they added another generation to the tradition. Smith’s granddaughter, Sage Calendine, 12, joined them on their shopping spree.

“I’m not a morning person,” Sage said. “So I wasn’t happy about waking up early. But I like shopping and spending time with my mom and grandma.”