Sometimes things work out better than we expect.
Tynan Haggard-Schoolman said he never goes shopping on Black Friday.
But it was a good year. The Tucsonan got a raise and saved a little extra money, so he decided to go all in on an all-night shopping marathon. "I guess I'm just one of those blessed people," he said.
Not that he wasn't a little nervous about venturing into the jungles of retail.
"I'd heard a lot of horror stories," he said. "This being my first time I didn't know what to expect. I was ready to throw down with someone if I had to."
Haggard-Schoolman said he tried to plot out the whole adventure, but to no avail. When his first stop didn't offer price-matching, or have the wireless printer he was looking for, he decided to just wing it.
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"You know when you have to get up at 2 a.m. and you're a little groggy after turkey time, all your plans go out the window," he said.
And so it was that after hitting up some of the big predawn destinations, Target, Sears and a few others, Haggard-Schoolman shuffled bleary-eyed with the rest of the pack into the Staples at 2930 N. Campbell Ave. at 6 a.m. for one of the last doorbuster sales of the morning.
By this time deal-grabbing looks like muscle memory for shoppers who've cut teeth on 3 a.m., 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. sales. They squeeze in the front and then scatter through the aisles. They clutch their ads tight, like a scavenger hunt checklist, heads down over their papers, eyeballs darting back and forth, scanning for prizes.
Haggard-Schoolman made his way into Staples and managed to lay his hands on exactly what he wanted, an HP 6500 All-in-One Wireless Printer, the last one in the store - but at almost the exact time as another shopper.
Oh, no.
Haggard-Schoolman braced himself for trouble, but it didn't happen.
"He was very cordial," he said of the other shopper. "He said I got there first."
And so the day was a success.
"It was a lot of fun," he said.
The National Retail Federation is expecting overall holiday sales to improve by about 2.3 percent over last year as the economy slowly recovers in the wake of recession.
"I think things are slowly, but surely getting better," said Haggard-Schoolman, who is a maintenance supervisor for an apartment complex. "Us as citizens are loosening up a bit and realizing the economy isn't going to get better unless we spend a little money."
With retailers hoping to make the most of the holiday season, Tucson and Park Place malls both opened at midnight on Black Friday this year, with more than 40 stores open between the two.
Tucson Mall saw modest crowds throughout the night, with many hardcore shoppers hitting up the mall before heading off to doorbusters at the big-box stores, or while waiting for mall department stores like Macy's and Sears to open their doors at 4 a.m.
Andrea Bravo and her mother, Rosie Lopez, added Tucson Mall to their Black Friday shopping rotation, which includes a whole list of early-morning openings.
Bravo and Lopez said they'd both saved more than in years past and were ready to spend a little extra on the holiday this year.
Bravo, who was at the Disney Store to get toys for her two young children, said she planned to do all her Christmas shopping on Black Friday.
"I will be done today," she said.
Lopez said, more than saving money, she just likes shopping with her daughter every Christmas.
"It's just a lot of fun," she said. "God has really blessed us this year."
Joseph Hall, who was at the mall with his wife, said he can't always get to the stores on Black Friday between children and work, so he was glad the mall had nighttime hours this year.
"It's also hard to squeeze the kids through a crowded store," he said. "It's easier to get someone to look after them at night."
Friends Emma Lamoreaux and Britta Walsh started at Target at 4 a.m., shopped a few of the big-box stores, took a break, and then headed back out to La Encantada mall, 2905 E. Skyline Drive.
The two said they think shoppers are still pinching pennies this year but are getting drawn out by retailers' bigger and bigger discounts.
"We're sales shopping," Walsh said.
And some people skipped the morning rush entirely.
"I just woke up," said Jake Brown, who got to La Encantada at about 1 p.m.
Brown said he usually works Black Friday and decided to sleep in this year.
"I didn't get my Christmas shopping done until Christmas Eve last year," he said.
Shopping on Black Friday
Bigger crowds look for deals
Early signs pointed to bigger crowds at many stores including Best Buy, Sears and Toys R Us for the traditional start to the holiday shopping season, The Associated Press reported.
In an encouraging sign for retailers and for the economy, more shoppers appeared to be buying for themselves than last year, when such indulgences were limited. Lengthened hours that pushed some store openings into Thanksgiving also appeared to pay off, retailers said.
Contact reporter Alex Dalenberg at adalenberg@azstarnet.com or 807-8429.