Shoppers up early for Black Friday deals

Target had record online sales on the holiday as it gave access to its Black Friday deals online early Thanksgiving morning. “This year it’s $699”, said a customer. “The sales Monday through Wednesday were 25 percent up over a year ago”.

Black Friday shopping went violent in some U.S. cities.

“We were pretty excited”, he said of the Thanksgiving sale. And sporting goods chain REI, which was always closed on Thanksgiving, is bowing out of Black Friday too.

Meanwhile, the owner of Harley’s Fine Menswear said the cold, wet weather was not helping their holiday weekend sales.

In Atlanta, many took advantage of Black Friday deals, purchasing everything from 55-inch flat screen televisions to video game consoles.

Online sales may be growing each year, but you can’t kill the spirit of Black Friday. When the weather is good, they’re out and about.

“We were very busy, much more busy than we anticipated. Still holding our own on some products”, Ms. Mayo said.

“Percentage-wise is about the same as far as our intake so far but the traffic is what makes us money”.

“We also saw a lot of toys being purchased”, Lydon said.

Abotaleb: “We sell them for 349”. “We left, and then we came back, and the line had started to shorten down”. “We couldn’t keep them in stock”.

In what has become something of a Black Friday tradition around the country, at least two punchouts were reported in Kentucky at separate shopping malls, one in Louisville and one in Florence, the New York Daily News reports. “Seriously.” The National Retail Federation said online promotions have helped boost Thanksgiving day shopping to levels even bigger than previous year. Last year, the NRF had forecast 140.1 million consumers would hit stores and e-commerce sites, 4.8 percent more than actually turned out, according to its post-weekend shopping survey. The trade group is predicting that holiday sales will increase 3.7 percent in 2015 to $630.5 billion.

“There are some customers coming to the door earlier this morning”, said one retailer. Many were working Thursday afternoon getting the store ready.

But despite the changing landscape, one thing about Black Friday has stayed the same.