Black Friday begins early in South Florida, with many shoppers hitting stores on Thanksgiving
MIAMI — Many stores and shoppers are gearing up for Black Friday, with some already shopping at one store on Thanksgiving.
Over 180 million people are expected to shop between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, according to the National Retail Federation. And while Friday will be the busiest shopping day, Black Friday deals have been available since October.
CBS News Miami was at the BrandSmart in Miami Gardens, where there were only three people in line and most were sitting on yellow steps in the early afternoon. When CBS News Miami informed people who didn't know that the first 100 customers could receive $25 gift cards, things changed fast.
Shopper William Perez was one of those early shoppers, telling CBS News Miami that he arrived at 5 a.m. to be one of the first in line at BrandSmart USA with no real items on his list.
"I come to buy a couple of things for my granddaughter [and] grandson," Perez said.
Other shoppers knew exactly what they came for.
"I need to buy a blender," shopper Annmarie Destines told CBS News Miami.
Destines wanted the blender because it was around $50 And she got it. But, when she was asked about what the first 100 customers got, she didn't know about the gift cards.
"Oh, I have to wait," she replied when asked.
In just hours, the crowd in front of the store quickly grew. And when the doors opened, carts were in hand and the goods were secured.
For those looking to save some cash, Adobe said Thanksgiving is the best day to buy toys, appliances, furniture and sporting goods. On Black Friday, TVs will have good deals, and you can expect discounts on computers on Saturday. And on Cyber Monday, expect to save money on electronics and apparel.
Whether shoppers came with friends or rode solo, people were looking to spend and save.
"I'm not buying anything, I don't live here," one shopper told CBS News Miami. "I'm on vacation — she's here to buy some speakers."
