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When the doors of Beaufort's Best Buy open before sunrise on Black Friday, store officials expect 400 to 500 customers to stream in during the first hour of the annual after-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy.
What's it like tending to the deal-seeking masses all day?
General manager Brendan Kelly, who will be working his fifth Black Friday for the electronics retailer, said the experience is more exciting than exhausting.
The challenge, he said, is making sure everything is ready beforehand. The reward is helping customers eagerly shop for friends and family.
"It's a lot of fun once you get to it," said Kelly, who also has worked Black Fridays in Baltimore and Charleston.
Employees will hand out tickets before the store opens, so nobody should have to scramble for "door-buster" specials, which will be available from 5 to 9 a.m., as long as the selected items are in stock.
"It's all very organized and very structured," Kelly said.
The day is long, but the 36-year-old typically feeds off the crowd. As long as things stay busy, he can usually ward off fatigue.
"It's nothing a little Red Bull can't fix," he said.
Black Friday isn't usually quite as popular at Belk on Hilton Head Island, but manager Scott Sutton said there should be some dedicated shoppers lined up when that store opens at 4 a.m.
Employees will begin arriving at 3 a.m. and hold a rally before opening the doors. The store will provide employees with food and coffee in the morning and lunch in the afternoon, Sutton said.
Like Kelly, Sutton said the day is enjoyable. Most of the hard work has already been done, as the store began stockpiling inventory and gearing up for the holiday season in October, he said.
The Black Friday routine has become as much a tradition for retail workers as it is for customers, Sutton said.
"It's just a blast, he said.
Going shopping after Thanksgiving?
Here's what you need to know about a sampling of major retailers:
Best Buy
Address: 332-A Robert Smalls Parkway, Beaufort
Phone: 843-522-3262
Hours: 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday
Address: 1007 Fording Island Road, Bluffton
Phone: 843-815-5590
Hours: 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
Walmart
Address: 4400 U.S. 278, Hardeeville
Phone: 843-208-3000
Hours: Open 24 hours
Address: 25 Pembroke Drive, Hilton Head Island
Phone: 843-681-3011
Hours: 7 a.m. today to 11 p.m. Friday; 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Address: 350 Robert Smalls Parkway, Beaufort
Phone: 843-522-8221
Hours: Open 24 hours
Target
Address: 1050 Fording Island Road, Bluffton
Phone: 843-815-3321
Hours: 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday
Kmart
Address: 2127 Boundary St., Beaufort
Phone: 843-524-1087
Hours: 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday
Tanger Outlet Center 2
Address: 1414 Fording Island Road, Bluffton
Phone: 843-837-5410
Hours: Most stores open at midnight, although some will open a few hours before. All will stay open until 9 p.m. Friday. The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Details: Tanger officials plan to give $10 Tanger gift cards to the first 250 shoppers 18 and older at Tanger Shopper Services at midnight. The officials encourage shoppers to go to www.tangeroutlet.com for special offers. Tanger Outlet Center 1 is under renovation and will not be open.
Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH
Address: 24 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island
Phone: 843-341-2088
Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; noon to 6 p.m. Sunday
Belk
Address: 24 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island
Phone: 843-686-8710
Hours: Friday 4 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Details: More than 260 early-bird specials will be in effect from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday. Store officials have about 200 gift cards of various values to distribute to early risers.
Address: 332 Robert Smalls Parkway, Beaufort
Phone: 843-522-9599
Hours: 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Details: More than 260 early-bird specials will be in effect from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday. Store officials have about 200 gift cards of various values to distribute to early risers.
Sam's Club
Address: 95 Mathews Drive, Hilton Head Island
Phone: 843-681-7100
Hours: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday
World Market
Address: 30 Malphrus Road, Bluffton
Phone: 843-836-1970
Hours: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday
Details: The first 100 customers Friday, Saturday and Sunday will receive a collectible ornament and a chance to win a $10,000 gift card.