Hours after Black Friday deals start, customers still shopping

One is that some product prices are raised in October, a few weeks before Black Friday.

Despite the early morning alarm, the traffic and the crowds, she enjoyed the Black Friday experience.

“It’s shopping and there’s all kinds of things on sale that isn’t normally on sale”, explains Brenda Lott, a shopper at the Mall of Abilene.

According to the National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, almost 60 percent of shoppers had already started holiday buying by November 10. Eager crowds of shoppers gathered in stores across the province.

“It’s just fun – something different”, said Scott Oakley.

Although Black Friday can most certainly be hectic, many people said they look forward to it every year. “We’re excited to have other opportunities for Jonesboro but we’re focusing on customer service and making sure our guests and our customers get what they need for the holidays”.

He said even with more businesses coming to Jonesboro, the store still has a loyal following who want to shop local.

Hours after the Black Friday deals began, customers are still rushing to stores to do their shopping. This year, the mall was open from 6 p.m.to midnight on Thanksgiving and re-opened at 6 a.m. on Black Friday. I was angry. I felt cheated as I thought of my family sitting around the table playing card games while I sold boots to frenzied women who had the luxury of going out shopping with family and friends at 8 p.m. on a Friday night.

The record number of online sales – up on past year – came ahead of the familiar scenes of mayhem in bricks-and-mortar stores up and down the country today.

Shopper traffic at the Upper Valley Mall near Springfield was light Friday morning, General Manager Brenda Labonte said. About 15,000 people clamored to get inside the Macy’s Herald Square location in NY when its doors opened at 6 p.m. Thursday, which is about the same as previous year.

Target said Friday in a statement that it had a “strong turnout” in stores on Thanksgiving, without providing specific figures. “Lots of times I can get the same deal and I don’t have to go to the stores”. “I still wish the stores would close on thanksgiving so the employees could spend time with their families, but you got to do what you go to do”.