Shoppers find Black Friday manageable at Burbank Town Center

Lines were short and shelves were well-stocked at Burbank Town Center at around 9 a.m. on Friday, but there were still plenty of deals to be had.

Shoppers who made it to Bed Bath & Beyond before noon could have snagged a Dyson vacuum for more than $200 off. Old Navy drew customers by marking down its entire inventory 50% for Thursday and Friday. And some shoppers reported discounts at Macy’s ranging from roughly 53% to more than 87% off.

PHOTOS: Shoppers flock to Burbank Town Center for Black Friday

“The best deal I got is... it’s really amazing,” said Kelly Kirkland of North Hollywood, digging into a large Macy’s shopping bag. “This really nice, three-piece Calvin Klein [boy’s] sweater, jeans and pants originally $79.50, I got for $9.99.”

Unlike in past years, though, what’s become known as “Black Friday” — considered the busiest shopping day of the year and synonymous with extreme deals and shopping madness — this year was “lonely,” said Judy Zeron of Burbank.

She was shopping with her “Black Friday shopping buddy,” Kristina Diaz of Yuma, Ariz., who was in town to visit family.

“But there’s great shopping,” Diaz said.

Between the two of them, they had piled up their haul, made up of a large rolling suitcase — part of a $50 set at Macy’s that Diaz said was the reason she came out — and a couple of large shopping bags full of purchased items.

The two had shopped together at the Burbank Town Center on Black Friday last year, and they said it was much busier then. Diaz said she walked out of Old Navy last year when the line was more than an hour long.

This year, they started shopping around 8:30 a.m., but they said the longest line they experienced — at Old Navy again —was about 20 minutes, “which seemed like forever” compared with other stores.

“It’s much more pleasant this year,” Zeron said.

Like several men at the shopping center Friday morning, Los Angeles resident Carlos Martinez was sitting on a bench. With three large, full Old Navy shopping bags at his feet, he played on his phone, waiting for family members to finish their shopping.

Martinez said Black Friday shopping had become a tradition over the past 10 years, but he said this year seemed less crowded.

“Maybe because they opened it up earlier,” he said.

Many stores opened on Thanksgiving Day in anticipation of the crowds. At Burbank Town Center, DB Shoes opened at 10 a.m. on Thursday, with Old Navy opening at 4 p.m. and many others, including Macy’s, Forever 21, American Eagle and Sears, opening at 6 p.m.

Linda Maxwell, a spokeswoman for the Burbank Town Center, said in an email that shoppers came out in waves Thursday evening.

“I was there from 7 p.m. to past midnight,” Maxwell said. “The crowds were there at 7 p.m., got another wave at about 10 p.m. and another at midnight.”

Barbara Bocek and her daughter Jennifer Bocek, both of Burbank, came to the mall at 7:30 a.m. Friday and found deals on shoes, purses, lingerie and toys — mostly gifts they were buying for others.

“You do get bargains,” Barbara Bocek said.

“You do, actually,” Jennifer Bocek agreed.

“And it’s kind of fun,” Barbara Bocek said. “But we weren’t crazy — I’m not coming at 2 in the morning.”

Kirkland said she has somehow avoided the craziness and crowds that seem to be part of the Black Friday legend and lore.

“It must be Black Friday somewhere else in America,” Kirkland said. “I’m glad it’s not happening to me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be out here ... it’s so calm, we’re just strolling around, getting snacks. It’s a nice, easy day.”