Shoppers prove Black Friday tradition long way from over
Online sales may be growing each year, but you can't kill the spirit of Black Friday.
Despite the push by retailers to offer Black Friday deals online before stores opened Thursday and Amazon even starting its deals a week early, the steady traffic — and in some cases crowds — at stores and malls across the country show that the death of America’s post-Thanksgiving shopping tradition is probably pretty far off.
What is changing is when and how people shop. Shoppers have options to hit stores before and after Thanksgiving dinner, overnight into Black Friday morning and throughout the weekend, so the flow of customers into stores is becoming more spread out and less frenetic.
Still, the day after the holiday remains the more popular day to go to the mall. The National Retail Federation expected about 30 million people to shop on Thanksgiving, compared with 99.8 million people on Black Friday. The trade group estimates about 135.8 million people will shop at some point during the four-day weekend, up from 133.7 million last year. It expects sales for November and December to rise 3.7% to $630.5 billion, compared with the same period last year.
Black Friday's 'first responders' lured by electronic, toy deals
"It's been pretty calm," said Alix Bernard, shopping at a Best Buy Friday in Rockledge, Fla., on Friday morning. She and her husband, Mike, had stopped at two other stores. "We weren't standing in line today," she said. "We have done that in the past but not this year."
Why venture out into the retail madness? For some, it's the savings on toys, video games and TVs, as well as 40% to 50% off at clothing retailers, including Ann Taylor and Banana Republic.
"I have four kids I have to shop for on a budget," said Ashley Martinetty, 28, of Palm Bay, Fla. "So if I go to all these stores and get the deals, I can get them more for Christmas."
Even though she's out with thousands of other shoppers, it's an opportunity to get some time to herself.
"This is the one time of the year when I get to stay out all night without taking my kids or my husband," Martinetty said.
Although some people may relish the opportunity to leave the kids at home, Black Friday has grown into a tradition, becoming just as much a family gathering as Thanksgiving dinner.
Ramona Beyer, standing with her relatives at Melbourne Square Mall in Melbourne, Fla., holding cups of Starbucks coffee, said she's been Black Friday shopping since her two sons were in diapers. Justin and Eric Beyer are now both in their 20s and have embraced their mother's tradition — it's become part of the family Thanksgiving celebration.
"We just like to go out," Ramona Beyer, 53, said. "It pulls our family together."
That's good news for some retail companies. After a disappointing third quarter, Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren said he's encouraged by the retailer's Black Friday crowds. About 15,000 people clamored to get inside the Macy's Herald Square location in New York when its doors opened at 6 p.m. Thursday, which is about the same as last year.
Online sales are definitely becoming a bigger factor. On Thanksgiving, consumers are increasingly opting to shop from home. Online sales Thursday increased 26% over last year, driven heavily by mobile devices, which accounted for 40% of online sales, according to IBM Watson Trend, which tracks spending by monitoring millions of transactions from retail websites.
Target had record online sales on the holiday as it gave access to its Black Friday deals online early Thanksgiving morning. In-store traffic was in line or slightly above previous years, spokeswoman Kate Decker said. The retailer said it sold an iPad every second throughout the day on Thanksgiving. The tablets, plus gaming consoles, TVs and movies were some of the retailer's best-sellers. A $10 giant stuffed teddy bear sold out within minutes at some stores — Target deemed the plush toy a "surprise hit."
Contributing: Ilana Kowarski of Florida Today; Sherry Barkas of The Desert Sun