Business & Tech

Patch Readers' Advice for Black Friday? Don't Go.

Stay home, most readers say, and avoid the crowds.

By Paula Skaggs

We reached out to Patch readers across the area through Facebook to get their best tips for Black Friday shopping. The most common advice we received? Don’t go.

“My advice would be don’t go!” wrote user Tina Abrahamson Reynolds on the Deerfield Patch Facebook page.

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Jack Rabey agreed.  

“Stay home and eat leftover turkey!” he wrote on the Niles-Morton Grove Patch Facebook page.

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Loretta Line of Evanston also took a stand against Black Friday.

“Don’t buy anything,” she advised. “No one needs all that crap. Think about the poor workers having to be at the store long hours on a holiday just so we can fool ourselves into thinking we are getting a bargain. Ugh. The best gift is the gift of giving yourself.”

Several readers advised shoppers to take advantage of “Cyber Monday” and online deals, instead of braving the crowds at big stores.

“Shop online and skip the brick and mortar stores!” wrote Alexa Markoff on the Northbrook Patch Facebook page.

Sylvia Bujak Mallon wrote on the Niles-Morton Grove Facebook page to “buy everything online.” 

Other readers urged shoppers to stay local and take advantage of Small Business Saturday, the day after Black Friday where shoppers are urged to patronize locally-owned businesses.

“Wait till Saturday and shop local,” Les Lu wrote on the Evanston Patch page. “Enjoy your day off with family and friends.”

“Don’t set foot in the mall or big box store,” advised Marian Garrigan on the Oak Park-River Forest page. “If you need to shop, go to your local shops owned by your neighbors. Patronizing local businesses helps the community in more ways than one. Enjoy your day off. 

A few diehard shoppers, however, refuse to let the naysayers deter their excitement.

“Have fun and plan out your trip!” Zenobia Puckett wrote on the Oak Park-River Forest Patch’s Facebook page. “Me and my girlfriends do it every year and we love it!”

Melody Jean, also on the Oak Park-River Forest page, advised shoppers to dress for the weather. 

“Go with friends, dress in layers, have a plan with alternative choices and have fun!” she wrote.

What’s YOUR best advice for Black Friday? Do you love the sales or avoid the stores? Let us know in the comments below. 


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