Westfarms Mall Preps For Black Friday Rush

WEST HARTFORD/FARMINGTON, CT — Online shopping has taken away some of the anxiety and franticness of Black Friday, but a prominent mall in West Hartford/Farmington is preparing for a busy day nonetheless.

Officials at the Westfarms Mall, which is located in Farmington and West Hartford, said this week that its main anchor stores will be opening early and closing late.

"Black Friday, the unofficial kick-off to the holiday shopping season, begins with extended holiday shopping hours to kick off the festive retail season," wrote the mall in an announcement.

The first stores will open at 6 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 24, after shoppers recover from a day of devouring their Thanksgiving feasts.

Mall hours this weekend are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26.

As is the case annually, the weekend promises retailer sales and special promotions.

Mall officials, however, report some Westfarms stores will open beyond mall-wide hours on Black Friday and have earlier morning openings and late closings.

Those include:

• Macy’s – Friday 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• JC Penney – Friday 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Nordstrom – 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The mall's manager said, in reality, Black Friday-type deals have already begun.

“We are seeing Black Friday deals well in advance of what used to be a traditional one-day shopping event,” said Elizabeth Ryan, Westfarms general manager. “These sales and promotions have already begun and we are expecting them to stretch out into the early part of December and beyond.”

For more information on the Westfarms Mall, located at 500 West Farms Mall, Farmington, just off Interstate 84, click on this link.