Marylanders hit stores in record numbers for Black Friday; online sales strong despite looming Amazon strike

BALTIMORE -- A record number of shoppers hit stores and online retailers in Maryland and across the nation for Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year.  

From the WJZ Drone, you could see plenty of cars packing the parking lot at the Long Gate Shopping Center in Ellicott City, Howard County.

Margaret and Jim started their day at 8 a.m. Friday.

"I think it's more the experience and the time of year. It makes it nice coming out, you know," Margaret said. 

As for Jim, he told WJZ, "I want my hands on it when I'm buying something more than not."

Kirstey, another shopper we spoke to, still likes going to the stores the old-fashioned way. 

"I just feel like there's so many more options now. You can do it online, but I don't know, I like to come out and look because there's different stuff," she said. 

The Big Spend

The shopping season is shorter by five days this year, and retailers are targeting shoppers every moment they can. 

The deals started back in October.

"One trend we've noticed is that the holiday sales start earlier every year,"  said Kimberly Palmer, a personal finance expert with NerdWallet. 

Shoppers filled carts—looking for deals. 

Inflation remains a worry, but retail analysts said shoppers will spend roughly one thousand dollars each on average.

"Inflation certainly remains top-of-mind for many consumers," said Katherine Cullen with the National Retail Federation. "Consumers are focused on sales and promotions but they're willing to spend on things that matter to them."

One Kohl's shopper spent more than half of that there.

"I bought $531, and they gave me $159 cash back, so it's a good day," he said. 

Jabin Vahora is buying gifts tor an upcoming trip to India. "This is my first place. My next stop is the mall—Arundel Mills. Long day. Very long day," she said.

Amazon Strike?

Amazon warehouse workers nationwide plan strikes and protests for better wages and working conditions. 

In recent years, workers at some Amazon warehouses in the U.S. have pushed to unionize although with mixed results. In 2022, an Amazon facility in New York City's Staten Island became the first — and so far the only — company warehouse to vote to form a union. Other efforts to organize have failed, including at Amazon facilities in Alabama in 2021 and New York in 2022.

"Amazon's relentless pursuit of profit comes at a cost to workers, the environment and democracy," said Christy Hoffman, general secretary of UNI Global Union, in a statement.

Targeting Shoppers Online

It comes as a rising number of people are shopping online from the comfort of home, and retailers are finding fresh ways to reach younger shoppers.

"57 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds tell us that they're likely to buy something this season on Instagram, 56 percent on TikTok," said Harley Finkelstein, Shopify's president.

"You're seeing consumers use artificial intelligence to play the role of a shopping concierge," he said. "The best brands in the world are rolling out new ways for consumers to shop, and I think it's leading to some of the biggest holiday shopping days we've ever seen. Ever."

Even with the rise in online shopping, retailers said visits to brick-and mortar stores are up more than three percent over what they were before the pandemic. 

The best Cyber Monday deals are expected on shoes and clothes.