Black Friday deals lead shoppers to pack stores across Philadelphia region
Businesses around the Philadelphia region saw an influx of customers on Black Friday as doorbuster deals led to big lines and packed parking lots at malls.
At the Target in Cherry Hill, customers lined up outside before doors opened at 6 a.m., some ready to snag pop star Taylor Swift's Eras Tour book or a vinyl copy of the album "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology."
At King of Prussia Mall, the self-titled "Black Friday squad" was out in full force, with matching T-shirts to prove it. That's just a little nickname for Media, Pennsylvania, native Jeannie McCauley's family.
They were in line at the mall's Lululemon store by 5:45 a.m.
"We get up, we leave the house at 5 a.m., we hit Wawa," McCauley said, describing the routine that's been in place for over 10 years.
They shop in the morning and by noon at the latest, they're back home fixing a lunch of Thanksgiving leftovers.
"We're napping...by 12:30 p.m.," she said.
Meanwhile, back in South Jersey, shoppers were dancing and singing through the Cherry Hill Mall, and everyone seemed to be in the holiday spirit while on the hunt for deep discounts.
Tim Sylvester, his niece, and his dog, Ricardo, dressed up for the start of the Christmas shopping season.
"Me and Chloe get up at 6:30 a.m. every Black Friday. We go to the diner for breakfast, and then we hit [the] Cherry Hill Mall," Sylvester said.
The mall opened at 7 a.m. on Black Friday, and crowds only grew larger through the morning.
"Shop til' we drop. You know, the sales are great this year actually, so it's been fun," said Simone Adeshina, who lives in Pine Hill.
Because of evolving shopping habits, brick-and-mortar stores continued to compete with online shopping. But many shoppers say strolling through the mall on Black Friday is a long-time tradition.
"Since I was little I went with my mom and now I just keep going every year," said Mackenzie Bailey from Medford Lakes.
"First, we go to Kohls, and then we went to Target, and then we went to Old Navy, and then we had breakfast at Olga's Diner, and then we come to [the] Cherry Hill Mall," said Felice Livecchi, who lives in Cherry Hill.
They were far from the only ones out Friday morning. Images from Chopper 3 showed shoppers packing parking lots at Delaware's Christiana Mall, the Cherry Hill Mall and the Gloucester Premium Outlets in Blackwood, New Jersey.
At the outlets, a line of cars waiting to get into the parking lot spilled out onto nearby Route 42.
Retail experts have told CBS News that consumers looking to save a little money on gift-giving this year could make Black Friday 2024 break spending records.
Plus with Thanksgiving falling a little later this year, it's a shorter shopping season. That's why mall officials said they expected traffic to be busier than last year.
"Long lines at a lot of our stores, lots of shopping bags, it's a good indication that the season is going to be good," said Lisa Wolstromer, senior marketing director.