Black Friday brings out shoppers, even as the economy remains top of mind
ALLEN — Black Friday brought thousands of North Texans to stores and malls, including the Allen Premium Outlets, in search of the latest deals. Every year, the day offers bargains and savings to shoppers, as well as bustling crowds and long lines.
"We got a bunch of good deals up to 70% off," said one shopper.
"It's a little overwhelming just trying to get through people walking. Kind of scary too with everyone walking in the streets," shoppers Andrea and Jose Martinez admit.
Discounts were seen on most items, from clothing and purses to electronics. For veteran shopper Nelly Urizar, even the lines to enter the stores didn't detour her from snagging a sale.
"I've probably been doing this for the last 20 years, maybe. For my family, it's about the experience of just getting out and having some girl time," Urizar explains.
The day started out chilly, but for Black Friday business owners, this year's busiest shopping day shaped up to have everything they wanted: big crowds and beautiful weather conditions. However, consumer confidence varied when it came to thinking about inflation.
"It's really discouraged us from spending more," says Ashish Verma.
"We're trying to shop before these tariffs come in and I feel like when that happens, they will kind of make the economy get worse. Taxes are going to go up," another shopper shared with CBS News Texas.
Consumers are still set to break records. The National Retail Federation estimates about 183 million Americans will shop in stores and online between now and Cyber Monday. Another estimate predicts shoppers will shell out a little more than one thousand dollars each, which is about a 14% jump from last year.
"The economy is basically at a good place right now. It gives me a good position to shop," said Jeffrey Martinez.
But, with less than a month to gather those Christmas gifts, consumers are fully aware the holiday rush is now on.
"I have a really long Christmas list and usually have to buy 50 gifts so it's worth it for me.... the extra discounts," Urizar adds.
The next big shopping days include Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.