My name is Erik Martin; I’m a freelance writer (check my credentials at www.martinspiration.blogspot.com) and I'm working on a new story for AARP The Magazine on the following topic:

BLUEPRINT FOR A FOOLPROOF BLACK FRIDAY FROM THE COMFORTS OF YOUR HOME OFFICE: How to better ensure more efficient online shopping and successful securing of the items you want on the busiest retail day of the year. This article will explore tips and strategies to scour the Internet to locate the best deals, why it pays to stay home and avoid the crowds for many items that can be more easily purchased online, ways to cyber shop and complete electronic transactions quickly and safely, and more. For this story, I’m looking to interview retirement-age consumers (age 50 and up) who have successfully shopped online at home on Black Friday. I can either conduct a phone or email interview (with the latter, you can type up responses to my questions below and email them to me). My deadline to complete all interviews is Thursday, Oct. 23 by noon central time.

QUESTIONS:
1. What experience did you have shopping online on a previous Thanksgiving or Black Friday?
2. What were you looking for, what did you end up purchasing (and for how much) and what site(s) did you use/purchase from?
3. What did you enjoy about this experience—did it save you money, time and aggravation?
4. Are the best deals typically found by waiting in line outside a brick and mortar store and trying to score one of a limited supply of discounted items, or can better deals be had by staying home and shopping online? Please provide a real world past example or two.
5. Any other thoughts, comments, or tips you wanted to offer on this topic?
6. What is your full name, title/company, and city/state location?