Black Friday shoppers hit stores early in search of deals

I am proud to say that weve delivered on all fronts, ” said Steve Bratspies, Chief Merchandising Officer, Walmart U.S.

Mall officials say 10,000 free gifts valued at over $200,000 will be up for grabs throughout the weekend.

And while retailers advertised a variety of Black Friday sales, some hot items weren’t available and may not be until later in December. Many sales start Thursday and run through the entire weekend.

Keith Richardson, managing director retail sector at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said he expected Black Friday to be “as big as ever this year” as shoppers have seen “little if any impact” after the European Union referendum. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, vies with the Saturday before Christmas as the busiest shopping day of the year.

Retailers are upping their promotions to lure customers with their “doorbuster” deals.

So determined were mall shoppers to get into Victoria’s Secret and Pandora, they waited in lines at the entrances because there were too many shoppers already in the shops.

As a result, this year’s Black Friday could be record-setting. It’s busy. It’s noisy.

But he noticed lower turnout and less urgency among the shopping crowds. To help you, we have put together these tips for saving at both on-line and in-store sales on Black Friday.

The week kicked off with customers visiting stores in the days leading up to Thanksgiving to grocery shop. Walmart, for example, has separate lines within the store for different products. Early data indicates that Black Friday online sales at USA retail websites have brought in $490 million between midnight and 8:30 a.m., reported Adobe Digital Insights. Some stores open early with doorbuster deals; others are closing and advertising a commitment to family.

On Thursday, discount store Kmart opened its doors at 6 a.m., with other stores – including JCPenney, Best Buy and Target – open throughout the day.

In other words, there’s no point anymore in running or trying to elbow anyone out of the way. “I was never hurt, but bum-rushed”. In part, this idea is wrong because of the trends described above.

They say the mall is really missing that energy, the hustle and bustle that the holiday season usually brings.

While a survey of about 1,000 USA consumers by AlixPartners indicated that 83 percent of shoppers expect to spend about the same or more this holiday season, mobile phones are making price comparisons simpler than ever. The start used to be the day after Thanksgiving, but many mall operators and the big stores that anchor them are sticking with going earlier. Retailers have also been spreading deals out more throughout the week which may have diluted the shopping. But sometimes it seems people overestimate just how significant it is for retailers. Only stores with exterior entrances were able to open on Thanksgiving Day.

Meanwhile, revenue growth for Thanksgiving Day may get sluggish due to heavy markdowns made in the early hours of Thanksgiving Day, with reductions on electronic items, toys and pet-care tools were all better than past year. But she wishes they were after-Thanksgiving sales.