In Aurora, New York, today is their version of Black Friday. Instead of a big box store—an estimated six thousand people are going to a big barn on Route 90.
The barn belongs to upscale merchandise and ceramics manufacturer MacKenzie-Childs. Today begins the annual “Barn Sale”. Shoppers began lining up Thursday morning, a full 24 hours before the 8am start time.
“It’s girl’s therapy, our version of camping. Men hunt and fish, we sleep on the sidewalk and shop”, said one shopper. How much do they spend? Very few women were willing to reveal that but even with 50-80% discounts; some women confided they spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars.
We found of group of women from Buffalo who wore specially made MacKenzie-Child’s t-shirts.
They have the sale down to a science. First, they study the store’s catalog, and then they visit the store in Aurora to see the products.
They decide what they will buy and when the sale begins, they spread out, each one taking items from a different section.
They drop the items off in a pre-selected spot where another women watches over their choices until it’s time to buy.
Howard Cohen, of Brighton and co-owner of MacKenzie-Childs, said there are some products of which there are only two or three of a kind, so it pays to get to the sale early.
But Cohen also said they are constantly replenishing the shelves and do hold some of the hard to find products for later in the sale, knowing not all shoppers can get there on Friday.
“The sale”, says Cohen, “has taken on a life of its own”.
This year catering was added to accommodate the growing number of shoppers who camp out overnight to be among the first in line. The barn sale runs through Sunday.
