Black Friday Deals Appearing In North Texas Right Now
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Black Friday is more than a week away, but deals are already popping up at stores across North Texas.
"Shopping patterns have definitely shifted," said Holly Quarcaro with Galleria Dallas.
Research from the National Retail Federation shows people are starting their holiday shopping earlier and earlier, instead of waiting for Black Friday to kick things off. Retailers are responding by offering promotions sooner.
"Our research shows that more than a third of shoppers start by Halloween, so the timeframe of the holiday season keeps expanding," said NRF Senior Director of Industry and Consumer Insights Katherine Cullen.
There are sales happening right now at stores throughout the Galleria. Retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy all have early promotions going on, too.
"I love it," said shopper Sarah Hawbaker. "That way we don't have to rush for Black Friday sales and also just all these discounts make my wallet happy."
Many people are shopping early this year in particular, since Thanksgiving falls so late in the month.
"By the time Thanksgiving dinner is cleaned up, we've hit Black Friday," Quarcaro said. "That next Monday, we're into December. So it's definitely time to start picking up those gifts, and retailers are ready for you."
However, many families say shopping on Black Friday and the weekend after Thanksgiving isn't just about the deals. It's about the experience.
"There's still something about shopping on Black Friday," said Quarcaro. "For a lot of people it's just a holiday tradition they love to do."
Despite all the sales going on right now, next weekend is still expected to be one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year. The National Retail Federation estimates 165 million people will shop Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday.
