Millions of Black Friday shoppers save big in less chaotic scenes
More than 165 million Americans are expected to shop and hunt for bargains over the five-day stretch that began on Thanksgiving and will continue through Cyber Monday. Millions of shoppers were waking up early on Black Friday and even standing in lines outside stores across the country. As doors opened on Thanksgiving Day, shoppers had just one thing in mind: save big.
"I bought TV, I bought air fryer, I bought iPad mini," said one shopper at a Target store, "so I'm like, really happy to get this good deal."
If this year's crowds at Macy's in New York City are any measure, Black Friday deals are luring savvy shoppers in droves.
"I've been here since like 6 a.m.," said Beatitude McGuckin. "I formed the line so everyone's civilized and we can all get what we want."
"First I cook all night long, and then I shop until I drop," another shopper said.
Toys "R" Us made a comeback this year as it re-opened its first store in New Jersey.
"It brings back nostalgia from your childhood," Yali Afek said.
Black Friday has long been synonymous with scenes of chaos, but this year it started off looking a little less frantic. Wall Street Journal retail reporter Sarah Nassauer said more people were opting to shop from their cozy couches.
For the first time, the majority of U.S. consumers — 54 percent — said they would do most of their holiday shopping online. Only about 36% said they planned to shop on Black Friday this year, down from 51% in 2016.
Nassauer said her advice to shoppers debating whether or not to get off the couch and go out and shop on Black Friday was to make a list, stick to it, and then "if you see something good...you've been tracking the price on, then it's a good time to pull the trigger and buy it."
There's a lot of talk about whether Cyber Monday could beat Black Friday sales, which are estimated to top $7 billion. Adobe Analytics is forecasting $9.4 billion in Cyber Monday sales. That would be nearly 20% higher than in 2018.
