Shoppers fearless the crowds in Charleston to get Black Friday deals

“I think what happens is our customers after they finish their Thanksgiving meal they’re looking for some things to do at night and they come out and do some shopping and it’s worked out really well”, Boscov’s store manager Les Verhoek said.

Crowds were thin at USA stores and shopping malls in the early hours of Black Friday and on Thanksgiving evening as shoppers responded to early holiday discounts with caution and bad weather hurt turnout.

“This year, we saw Black Friday ads emerge before Halloween, as retailers aimed to get at the shopper’s wallet early”, said Kevin Kearns, ShopperTrak chief revenue officer.

Both Wal-Mart and Target say Thursday shopping got Black Friday off to a good start.

Scores of people lined up outside of Best Buy on Thanksgiving to grab short-lived deals.

As a result of the surge in online sales experts have forecast a total four-day spend of £3.2bn from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. The crowds early Friday morning appeared to be smaller than in past years, perhaps because more stores are now opening earlier than they used to. Mall traffic is in the midst of a long-term slowdown, and shoppers are spending more on experiences and less on stuff.

As 5:30 a.m. rolled around, Greenville’s Black Friday was a little more subdued than many would have thought.

“Consumers have shifted and started earlier”, Martin added.

Experian has predicted online sales in Britain to exceed £1 billion (1.4 billion euros, $1.5 billion) for the first time ever.

Christopher North, managing director of Amazon.co.uk, said: “For the second year straight, customers in the United Kingdom have blown us away with their response”.

When security opened the doors the dozen people waiting filed in to quietly browse the stacks of discounted goods, outnumbered by armies of staff and journalists.

After a disappointing third quarter performance, Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren said he’s encouraged by the retailer’s Black Friday crowds.

Like many, Herring has taken advantage of online shopping in recent years.

Kimberley Turner, a mother in her forties who was shopping with her young son said she found the discounts less compelling. She said she can’t remember seeing so many deals on appliances and televisions.

We believe Thanksgiving shopping was a bust, said analysts at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey in a note.

About 60 bargain hunters, some in pyjamas and dressing gowns, queued for more than an hour at Tesco Extra in Silverburn, Glasgow, which had closed between midnight and 5am in preparation for Black Friday.