Western Oklahoma shoppers are lured by deals on electronics

The early start to the unofficial kickoff of the Christmas shopping season didn't deter more than 300 people from lining up outside the Kmart store in Clinton shortly before 8 p.m. Thursday.

Some, such as April Akridge, of Geary, and Tina Guffee, of Oklahoma City, stood in line for hours, hoping to get their hands on deeply discounted electronics.

The Clinton Kmart store was open throughout Thanksgiving Day, but closed at 4 p.m. before reopening at 8 with a series of hourly specials.

“I came for some tablet computers for my kids, and Tina came for the 50-inch TV,” Akridge said. “They kicked us out of the store at 4 when they closed. We went to a nearby convenience store, came back, and there were already people in front us.

“They told us there were only a few TVs, so we're hoping.”

Akridge and Guffee were about 10 to 12 people back in a line that stretched almost 100 yards to the end of the parking lot.

Walking along the line before the store reopened, it was apparent most were drawn by the lure of cheap electronics.

And all were optimists, even those at the tail end of the line minutes before the doors opened.

“We're here to buy two TVs for my brother-in-law,” said a man who stood with his wife at the end of the line minutes before the doors opened. He refused to give his name.