Best Friday-After-Thanksgiving Sales in Owings Mills, Maryland

Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) is the biggest shopping day of the year. You can be sure to find bargain hungry customers outside of their favorite store, waiting in line until the doors open. To survive the chaos and plan for a successful shopping trip in Owings Mills, Maryland, keep these tips in mind:

1. In the week leading up to Black Friday, there will be television advertisements for many of the local stores. The commercials should highlight some of the best deals and specials offered.

2. Another way to be better informed is to pick up a copy of the Baltimore Sun newspaper and look for the circulars and other advertisements. Many stores advertise before Black Friday and may include specials, coupons or discounts. In the past, I have seen ads at Wal-Mart for DVD players selling for $19.99 or 13-inch black and white television sets for less than $30.00. Of course, the brands may not be well known, but as we all know, people love bargains. I have seen people line up outside of the store to make sure they were able to buy the advertised item.

3. Many companies send out advertisements in the mail for Black Friday sales. Be sure to pay attention to what you receive in your mailbox.

4. If you are looking for another source, maybe you might want to do some research online. Many stores in the Owings Mills area have online websites where you can review upcoming sales flyers. Here are a few examples:
a. Using Wal-Mart's website.(www.walmart.com) click on the link called "View Your Local Advertised Values", enter the Owings Mills zip code 21117, and click "Find". You will be taken to a listing of local stores, listed by distance along with the address to the store and driving directions. Then will need to click on the link "View Advertised Values For This Store". After clicking the link, you will be taken to a copy of the online circular, where you can go page to page.
b. Target (www.target.com) will show a header called Weekly Ad. After clicking on the link, you will be prompted to enter your zip code or your city and state. The Target Weekly Ad will offer a choice of viewing the circular ad or by category.

5. While you are looking at the websites, make sure to sign up for the mailing lists in advance. The sites may offer coupons, flyers and other incentives that you can use for your shopping trip.

6. If you want to be successful on Black Friday, you will need to decide which stores you want to visit. This is always the hardest thing for me to decide on. My decision to shop a particular store is based on the people I need to shop for.

For example, here are some popular stores in the Owings Mills area for children:
a. Toys R Us, located at 10200 Reisterstown Road
b. Walmart, at 9750 Reisterstown Road A
c. The Disney Store is in the Owings Mills Mall at 10300 Mill Run Circle

In case you want to visit a department store for apparel or other gifts, try these department stores, conveniently located in the Owings Mills Mall:
a. Macy's
b. Boscov's
c. JC Penney

7. Once you have decided on the stores you want to shop, be sure to find out when the store is open for business so you don't miss out on any sales. Many of the stores can open as early as 4:00 a.m. You may be able to determine the hours by watching the commercials, looking over the printed ads or through the websites.

8. As we all know, timing is crucial, so you may need to map your shopping route. I use www.mapquest.com.

9. Be sure to arrive early so that you can get the best bargains. If you arrive too late, you may miss out on some great sales.

10. While you are waiting in line, you can compare notes with other excited shoppers and see if they may have some shopping tips for you that you have not discovered.

After you indulge yourself eating turkey and stuffing, make sure to turn in early so you will be fresh and ready for a great day of shopping on Black Friday!