Document text
28 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, December 4, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 27, 2004 Suzanne Messer of Medford, left, high-fives sister-in-law Trasi Fugate of Mount Vernon, Wash., at the North Fred Meyer Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. The sisters split up in their quest for bargains and arrived back in seven minutes. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Go ahead: Shop till you drop Bargain-hunters get the most from their shopping dollar — but you’d better be able to keep up By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune Darting between racks of glittery blouses and navigating narrow aisles at a high-speed powerwalk — all the while scanning for the fastest-moving check-out line — Suzanne Messer shops for socks at Fred Meyer Friday morning the way others play video games. "Road block!" she calls out, diving to the right to avoid a cart fueled by a fierce, wide-eyed shopper barreling toward her. For the 10th year in a row, the 35-year-old Medford woman will hit nearly a dozen stores to mine the sales on shopping’s biggest day of the year. Accompanying Messer as usual is her sister-in-law, Trasi Fugate, 42, of Mount Vernon, Wash. Advertisement "This is our special thing we do together," says Fugate, a Medford Senior High School graduate who works with Head Start in Washington and has a teenage son and daughter. Messer is a production planner and scheduler at Erickson Air-Crane Inc. in Central Point and is the mother of three girls. With 20-some people on each shopping list, the women embark on their annual organized spree to snatch up bargains — and to have some fun. The key to successful shopping, says Messer, is the planning. The two plot out their strategy on Thanksgiving Day, scanning coupons and sales fliers for possible gifts. Then, on a separate piece of paper for each store they want to visit, they list the sale item and quantity. The items are grouped together (clothing, tools) to increase efficiency. This year they try something new: clipping photos to the lists so that when they’re in the midst of shopping frenzy, they can spot their items easily. "I like the picture idea," says Fugate. "I’m a visual person anyway." The women arrive at the North Fred Meyer parking lot at 4:30 a.m. Friday, joining nearly 100 people waiting outside the garden area entrance. Employees unlock the doors in sync at 5 a.m. and the swarm moves inside. "People who get shopping carts are dumb ... because they block the aisles," says Messer. Messer and Fugate split up, each armed with her list. They buzz through the store grabbing socks and other merchandise, meeting back at the register in a record 7 minutes — breaking the previous year’s record of 12 minutes. Messer scores four six-packs of socks, 15 pairs of women’s socks, several pairs of children’s socks and other items on her list. Then it’s off to the Rogue Valley Mall. The duo zooms through the building, snatching up a freebie Mickey Mouse snow globe from JC Penney and a free Christmas ornament from Mervyn’s. Fugate wants to look at poker chips on sale at Kay-Bee Toys, but the line is too long and not moving. Skip it. Messer and Fugate sprint across the parking lot to join another long line of shoppers just as the doors are being unlocked at Target. There’s still no sign of daylight in the early morning sky. Fugate hopes to buy 10 $2.99 turtlenecks for her nieces and nephews, but she can’t find them. A former Target employee, she guesses the shipment did not arrive in time, and the duo move on. Next stop: Circuit City, where Fugate has seen a bargain on an electronic item she wants to get for a family member. The line is long. It’s going nowhere fast. The shopping sisters decide to brave the wait because it is such a deal. They wait an hour. Customers become agitated as their holiday cheer subsides. But the sisters say it’s worth the trouble and zoom to the next store, undaunted. Tools from Sears, dog collars from Old Navy, materials for wreath-making from Michaels, a nightlight from Pier 1 Imports — the morning is proving more successful than some of years past, says Messer. A dozen stores and eight hours later, Messer is $400 lighter and Fugate has dropped about $350. But the van is filled with Christmas surprises. They say they’re satisfied they’ve taken care of nearly all their Christmas gift needs, minus the stocking stuffers. For Messer, the annual tradition is a luxury. "I grew up very poor, on Goodwill and welfare," she says. It means a lot to be able to buy so many presents for loved ones, she says. Fugate says she relishes the challenge. "It’s the thrill of the hunt and the thrill of the find," she says. Some marathon shopping hints Messer and Fugate’s tips for marathon shopping: Cut out photos from the sales fliers so you have visual cues to help find the gifts you want. Team up with someone, turn on your cell phones and split up so you can work the stores and the lines more efficiently. Meet up before you leave the store. It’s OK to grab a handbasket, but avoid shopping carts — they just slow you down. If a line looks too long, be ready to ditch the whole store. Sometimes you can find the same product later at another location. If your teammate really wants a particular gift, even if it means standing in a slow line, be willing to wait; you’ll both feel good about a worthwhile bargain. Avoid impulse-buying, plan your route and review your shopping list frequently. Have fun — no complaining allowed. If you’re not having fun, go home. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities