Super Bowl of shopping is more like a scrimmage

LONDON, United Kingdom-Hordes of British Christmas shoppers swapped the High Street for the internet on “Black Friday”, leaving stores unusually quiet but delivering Amazon its biggest ever sales day in the country. But that wasn’t the first purchase made. “And a lot of people like to go to the stores – the thrill of the chase, the thrill of the hunt”.

It’s a Super Bowl that has Target changing it’s game by opening its doors from 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving to 11 p.m. on Friday for the past two years. “Expect at best a 4.5 percent increase in spending over previous year and a tepid Black Friday”, BCG Senior Partner Michael J. Silverstein said in a Fortune article.

Marrocuin initially planned to start his shopping during the night, but Best Buy stores had closed at 1 a.m. and reopened at 8 a.m. on Black Friday.

Retail experts say the low prices can save people thousands of dollars, especially if they are buying in bulk like the Green family who lost everything when their Far East side home went up in flames earlier this year. “I’m out because Black Friday is more like a tradition, but the discounts are similar even online this year”. “I’m not going to promise I will buy anything”, she said.

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.

Quinlan added that consumers won’t just spend money this holiday season on physical goods, they’re also increasingly likely to spend on experiences like travel and dining out – and it’s all thanks to an economy that continues to improve.

For the first time, analysts had predicted more than half of online traffic to retailer sites would come from smartphones than desktops during the four-day Black Friday holiday shopping weekend.

Krista Wells, of Tucson, said she wanted her daughters to understand that the holidays are about spending time with family, not shopping.

The initial Black Friday sales reports began trickling in Friday, but the final numbers won’t be in until later this weekend.

“We hope you’ll join us outside today”, it said, instead promoting the Twitter hashtag #OptOutside.

Activity was brisk at the Vacaville Premium Outlets Friday morning, with the parking lots full and shoppers heading in and out of stores. Medeira then said that another reason for making it a day early is that it can be exhausting for working parents and millennials to stay up past midnight to shop online, only for them to wake-up early the next day to get ready for work.

Retailers “have taken the sense of urgency out for consumers by spreading their promotions throughout the year and what we are seeing is a result of that”, said Jeff Simpson, director of the retail practice at Deloitte.

Stores like Best Buy in Vestal saw a steady flow of traffic throughout the store on both Thursday and Friday.

“It’s not really crowded now but it will be later”, she said.

Charity work gives members something positive to do and helps show that they’re “responsible, productive members of society”, he said. “It’s only $299 and you get a $60 gift card”.

Julie Desireau snagged a $10 crock pot and the last $10 deep fryer at the Naperville, Illinois Wal-Mart and promptly hid them under a rack of women’s flannel pajamas.