BIRCH RUN -- Tis the season for holiday shopping, and, lots of it; but profits won't be the only thing on the minds of retailers for Black Friday this year. Managing the crowds of people expected to turnout for holiday bargains will also be a concern.
Phil Whitsel, Marketing Manager of Prime Outlets in Birch Run, tells NBC25 News, that at their stores alone, they expect somewhere between 125,000 people over the course of the Thanksgiving weekend. "All of our stores open at midnight. We expect to see traffic come in around nine and ten o'clock," says Whitsel.
Safety became an issue last year when a Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death by bargain shoppers rushing in as doors opened at midnight.
Now this year many stores in the area such as Wal-mart and Myers are open 24 hours to help prevent those types of situations. Others are taking a step further.
"We partner with the Village of Birch Run's Police Department as well as the State and the Saginaw County Sheriff, to make sure that the traffic flow works for everyone. And that we can get people in and out of the property safely and around the property as well.
Shoppers can also help themselves stay safe, by doing their pre shopping homework and locating the best bang for their buck. Here are a few tips:
-Carpooling with family members or friends to cut down on traffic congestion at the malls.
-Taking advantage of trolleys or mall transportation
-Targeting your favorite stores first
-Go prepared by finding out about promotional sales in advance.
"We want people to be safe we want them to be able to shop at the stores they want to shop at and enjoy themselves," says Mr. Whitsel.
And if you really want to stay on top of holiday sales, remember that many stores are also listing their promotions online.
