Black Friday 2012: Strange Things You Saw While Shopping

A woman wading in a mall fountain? A cow in line at Best Buy? Patch hit the local shopping scene Thanksgiving night and Black Friday to talk to shoppers about the craziest, funniest or weirdest stories from the day.

Black Friday is a day for doorbusters, discounts and lines—oh, the lines. Shoppers of the Southland descended upon Orland Park, as the mecca of shopping and home to Orland Square Mall, Best Buy, Target and big names in retail. Patch hit the streets—and the lines—Thanksgiving night and Black Friday to chat with shoppers about their tales from the retail frenzy.  Some, like Nicole Harris, filed into line outside Best Buy as early as 11 p.m. Thanksgiving night, with hopes of an encounter with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. Harris sacrificed the comfort of her own bed in the name of shopping.  "We camped out last night in our tent, but we weren't the first ones here, which was kind of a surprise," Harris said. Those in line alongside Harris …

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Best Routes to Drive to Orland Square Mall on Black Friday

With serious shopping comes heavy traffic. Patch has a few suggestions for getting in and out of the large retail center during one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Big crowds at shopping centers mean clogged roadways, and that can certainly be the case near Orland Square Mall. We have a few driving suggestions to lessen your holiday madness. With the mall opening for business at midnight Friday, LaGrange Road will likely be crowded, with its connections to I-80 and I-55.   With that in mind, here are a few suggestions for getting into the mall area, most of which avoiding LaGrange Road. Also, try our interactive map above to plan your own route. From the North From the South From the East From the West

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Business Comings 'n Goings

Business Comings & Goings: Orland OKs Tax Sharing With Mercedes Dealership

Orland Square Mall will open its doors at midnight Thanksgiving night • Gas station fight continues in Tinley • Homer Glen Kmart to close • New liquor licenses for two Orland Park businesses • Hostess outlets close

Orland Park officials earlier this month approved a tax-sharing plan with Mercedes-Benz of Orland Park to help offset the cost of expanding the dealership into the neighboring former BMW dealership that moved into its new home at 159th Street and Wolf Road over the summer. The deal will give the village the first $264,532 in sales taxes generated by the dealership each year for the next five years. The village and dealership will split any additional sales taxes above that amount for five years or until the dealership has collected $453,690. The Mercedes dealership wants the additional space for a showroom for two new lines it will begin carrying: the Smart car and a Mercedes commercial van. The dealership says the expansion will create …

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How Early is Too Early for Christmas Shopping?

It used to be Black Friday was for the earliest of early shoppers. Not anymore. Look around. The stores are ready now.

Look around the Chicago area and you'll see all the signs: The early birds no longer wait until Black Friday to do their Christmas shopping. This year, Black Friday is on Nov. 23, but big retailers and mail-order companies are starting well in advance. Amazon, for example, is beginning its Black Friday on Nov. 14. Crazy or crazy smart? Just how early is too early to shop for Christmas 2012 gifts? Take our poll.

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Early Black Friday Deals Start Today in Tinley, Orland and Oak Forest

Best Buy and Target will match prices of online retailers beginning Nov. 1. Do you have your holiday shopping list ready?

So, you just can't wait to get your Christmas 2012 gift-shopping groove on? You don't have to wait until Black Friday to get some great online deals. Best Buy's announcement that it will allow in-store customers to price-match online retailers by showing the price on their smartphones has been matched by Target and Super Target, according to BFAds.net, a website devoted to Black Friday and gift-shopping alerts. Among other online retailers, the stores will match prices of Amazon.com, Walmart.com,Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com. Best Buy's price-matching begins Sunday, Nov. 4, while Target's begins Thursday, Nov. 1. Leave reviews and comments in the business listings for these stores. You can do the same for other shops and services in the …

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Record-Breaking Black Friday Weekend Blasts Retailers into Holiday Shopping Season

The National Retail Federation says more shoppers participated in Black Friday weekend than ever.

The holiday shopping season traditionally has started around 6 a.m. on the Friday after Thanksgiving, but by that hour this year, Walmart employees and those of other stores who braved an early morning shopping rush in Evergreen Park—and across the country— had already seen the end of a long shift. They were catching their breath to prepare for the next group of shoppers. The waves of crowds had gone, leaving dirt-tracked floors and managers with bloodshot eyes and rumpled shirts. This time around, more shoppers purchased and took avantage of deals on the biggest shopping weekend of the year than ever before, according the National Retail Federation. [ Related: Shoppers Share Their Best Black Friday Bargains ] In mid-November, a …

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What Was Your Best Black Friday Find?

TVs, diamonds, cookware, game systems and computer printers — what were some of the best deals found Friday in Southland stores?

Friday was all about the bargain. Several folks told Patch about their best finds on Friday. Tell us about yours in the comment section. FOUND AT TARGET, OAK LAWN Gina Roach and her mother, Sharon Valente, both of Beverly, caught a few good deals early Friday at Target in Oak Lawn. Their finds included a Fisher-Price laptop for $22.99 and a 9-inch LCD TV for $55, down from $120. "I'm tingling," Valente confessed with a laugh. FOUND AT BEST BUY, HOMEWOOD Mrs. Thomas (who declined to share her first name), of Chicago, visited Best Buy in Homewood to find the last Kinect bundle for $199. The bundle included the gaming system, a controller, a charger and two batteries. Thomas hovered over her merchandise protectively until a salesperson …

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White Wedding on Black Friday

Edward Kossman and Jennifer Jasudowicz met six years ago on Black Friday at Orland Square Mall. The couple married at the same spot they met on this year's Black Friday, Nov. 25.

Black Friday is a door-busting, deal-making shoppers holiday that sees millions upon millions of Americans rush stocked shelves in an effort to take home the best bargain — and this year was no different. There was a twist on this year's Black Friday activities at Orland Square Mall, though, as Edward Kossman and Jennifer Jasudowicz of Burbank tied the knot on the second floor of the shopping mall, taking each other as husband and wife before family, friends and shoppers. The couple, who met six years ago at nearly the exact spot they were wed, said the unusual locale was the perfect spot to seal their love. “I'm very, very, very happy and I'm just glad we made it, especially here of all places," Jasudowicz said.  "This was incredible, to …

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