Strategies for navigating Horton Plaza on Black Friday

With the holidays inching closer and closer, the shopping season is looming, as is the day notoriously known as the busiest shopping day of the year — Black Friday.

Downtown, dreary-eyed shoppers are sure to scour Horton Plaza on Black Friday, which occurs on Nov. 27 this year.

“There is never a dull moment at Horton Plaza on a Black Friday,” said Westfield Horton Plaza marketing director Rebecca Handelsman.

Horton Plaza opens at 8 a.m. on Nov. 27, with Macy’s giving shoppers a head start by opening at 5 a.m. For those without a gift buying strategy — or even a clue - here is a guide to traversing Horton Plaza’s five stories on Black Friday.

Planning
The best shoppers know preparation is the key to a successful Black Friday run. Handelsman recommends a solid game plan which can involve newspaper ads and even the Internet.

“Check the newspaper and develop a plan of attack for yourself,” Handelsman said. “Look for the good sales and identify the retailers you want to hit.”

Parking
It all starts in the parking garage. Scoring a good parking spot is key to getting off to a good start. Handelsman recommends heading for higher ground, particularly levels four and above. That’s where the mall entrances are.

“A lot of people will circle the lower levels waiting for someone to leave and it creates a backup,” Handelsman said. “People think the first couple levels are the best parking, but the reality is then you have to go up a stairwell or an elevator and weave your way up into the mall.”

Horton Plaza is divided into two garages - designated by fruits and vegetables - that look like one big garage. While seemingly nutritious, this can get confusing, especially at the crack of dawn. Handelsman said to remember the fruit or vegetable on the pillar in front of you and to use the store near where you entered as a reference in order to cut down on post-shopping car-search-time.

Horton Plaza offers free three-hour parking validation, with a station located near the food court. Hardcore shoppers who spend $500 or more on Black Friday can park all-day for free just by providing their receipts.

Saving
Once in Horton Plaza, two items are must-haves. The first is a “Fab Finds” brochure highlighting weekly discounts mall-wide that even the most deft shoppers might miss. The other surefire saver is the “Passport to Savings,” the little-known mall coupon book.

“It’s a nice coupon book that has discounts at many of our retailers,” Handelsman said. “That’s typically available for visitors to San Diego, but we are offering it also to locals.”

Navigating
At first glance, Horton Plaza can appear daunting and, once inside, seeing a store can be easier than finding it. The best ways to get around are the north and south elevators and the blue staircase in the middle of the mall near Macy’s.

“If you head to the blue staircase, that hits every level,” Handelsman said. “The only levels that it doesn’t hit are the ones that go down to the street.”

Watching
After fighting over all varieties of potential gifts, a great way to unwind is to watch others do exactly the same. Handelsman said the best people watching spots at Horton Plaza are Broadway Circle and the Starbucks on Level 1.

“That’s where you get a good vantage point of all the people walking on the different levels,” Handelsman said of the Starbucks.

Eating
Although Handelsman said the food court at Horton Plaza is typically busiest between 2 and 4 p.m. on Black Friday, the early birds will get hungriest before that. In addition to Starbucks, breakfast can definitely be found at Beach City Market and Cinnabon, and those willing to chance it might score with a breakfast burrito at La Salsa.

Outside of the food court, a couple restaurants in Horton Plaza can offer weary shoppers solace. Panda Inn, O’Brothers organic burgers and the Nordstrom Cafe are good spots for those looking to refresh while they replenish.

“It has a really great view of downtown and it’s kinda tucked away at the top level of Nordstrom,” Handelsman said about Nordstrom Café. “But that’s a great place to refresh.”

See related: Get ‘em while they last: Early Black Friday deals pop up online |  San Diego Black Friday shopping guide

Relieving
Gotta go? Horton Plaza has three bathrooms within its five levels: Level 1 near Bebe, Level 3 near The Gap and Level 4 in the food court.

Organizing
Horton Plaza’s “12 Days of Shopping” promotion begins on Black Friday and, included as part of it, 500 Real Simple receipt organizers will be given away - to help shoppers stay organized in case they forget kids still don’t want sweaters. “Twelve Days of Shopping” will continue each weekend until Christmas, with a different special or promotion each time.

“It’s a riff on the traditional holiday song ‘The 12 Days of Christmas,’” Handelsman said. “It gives the customer special events, shoppers’ incentives, amenities and charitable options throughout the entire holiday season.”

Believing
Black Friday also marks the annual appearance of Santa Claus. For the kids’ sake, let’s hope he is more round than he was two years ago.

“He was a little leaner and thinner, so we had to stuff him with some extra square padding,” Handels­man said. “Because we had to stuff him with more than normal, he started to take on a square-like shape. We affectionately referred to him as our Spongebob Squaresanta.”

Anthony Gentile writes for the Downtown News, where this story was first published.

Tags: Black Friday, Christmas, crowds, holidays, Horton Plaza, Nov. 27, parking, retail shopping, SDNN, shopping, Westfield

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