Students take advantage of Black Friday deals

NATASHA REY, CONTRIBUTOR 
Shoppers search for discounted merch on Black Friday. THE PROJECTOR/Natasha Rey

Shoppers search for discounted merch on Black Friday. THE PROJECTOR/Natasha Rey

As the doors unlock at St. Vital Centre on Black Friday, determined shoppers push their way through the crowd to get to their favourite stores.

Mia Prenovault, 18, is an employee at St. Vital Centre’s popular store, Aeropostale. She said she’s worked there since August 2014, and it’s her second year working on Black Friday.

“You definitely see more students on Black Friday than any other day of the year,” Prenovault said. “They’re all looking for good deals.”

Prenovault is also a student studying kinesiology at the University of Winnipeg. She says that she spends almost all of the money she makes on schoolbooks and bus passes, so she also takes advantage of the Black Friday sales.

“Since I’m working all day for Black Friday, I told my friends to go shopping for me,”said Coral McCuen, a university student. “I didn’t want to miss out on these sweet deals.”

McCuen adds that many of her university and college friends shop for holiday presents and personal gifts on Black Friday because it’s affordable.

Nicole Chackowsky, a Red River College student, and her boyfriend Mitch Samborski carried bags full of Christmas presents.

Chackowsky says that money is a hard thing to manage when you’re in school, because it’s spent mostly on tuition and supplies.

“I’m shopping today because even after working two jobs, it’s still difficult to have enough money for everything I need as a student,” she said.

Samborski starts his classes next fall and says he is already able to see his money slip away toward his post-secondary studies.

“I’m worried about how much money I will be able to use next year because I know that the large majority of it will be put toward school stuff,” said Samborski.

Samborski also said that he prefers shopping on Boxing Day compared to Black Friday because he thinks that the sales are better.