Black Friday Brings Out Families and Bargain Shoppers Alike
BOSTON (CBS/AP) -- Massachusetts shoppers made their way to area malls and stores shortly after midnight for the traditional Black Friday kickoff to the holiday shopping season.
At the South Shore Plaza in Braintree, Black Friday has been in full swing. Thousands of shoppers on a mall marathon, a daylong quest for the best bargains.
"The sales, the prices can't be beat. You never find anything after Black Friday that compares to the prices we find today," one shopper told WBZ.
They showed up just after midnight, but it didn't stop there. The plaza has been packed all day, and into the evening, according to mall officials.
"We saw a brief lull for maybe two hours, but it's picked right back up. We're even busier now than we were at six a.m., so people are still coming out," South Shore Plaza marketing director Binni Patel told WBZ.
So, what are people buying? Electronics are bigger than ever and all of the well known large chains are doing a brisk business. And by the way, if you get tired, think of it as more than just shopping.
"Yeah, it's fun. I got to see a lot of of people that I haven't connected with in a few years. So, people like running back by each other. So, it's a social event. Yeah, it's fun," Chanel Kennerly said.
"Bella's Black Friday Professionals," a group of women from the same family that WBZ-TV profiled last year, were back early Friday morning.
"Well, 30 years ago, I started with just my mother, going to Breilly's Department Store. Their Black Friday consisted of opening an hour early, a couple of items on sale. So, we'd race down there and get them. And it was like exhilarating. So, that progressed. Other family members came. They changed the rules on Black Friday. Other stores got into the habit. They started opening at 5 a.m., 4 a.m. Now, we're way back at 1 a.m. So, it's crazy," Lisa Burrows, a member of the Bella's told WBZ.
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, used to launch the holiday season, but the competition to grab customers first is keen. Stores like Macy's, Walmart, Target and more were open Thursday evening in what they hope will be a new holiday tradition as they try to fight off competition from online juggernaut Amazon.
In Massachusetts, however, stores did not open until midnight due to the state's blue laws that don't allow shopping on Thanksgiving. And the lines were long at big box stores like Target, where shoppers waited in the dark for the midnight hour.
The "Bellas" found a number of bargains during their travels to four different malls.
"Well, as a group here, electronics, obviously. You would think they wouldn't be good any more because they've been on sale for years. My all-time favorite is, I love my Egyptian sheets. So, I made sure I got out there and got my 11-hundred count. So that was my personal best. For some of the kids, some of their board games. We have small kids in the family. The board games are priced right this year. So, all in all, it was good," Burrows said.
First-time Black Friday shopper Kara also found bargains in a number of stores at South Shore Plaza.
"Macy's has had great door buster sales. 70 % off I got some winter hats and gloves for my boys and my husband. And boots for myself. And American Eagle, same thing, 40% off the entire store. So, those are great deals," she said.
There's a certain method to the madness. Comfortable shoes help and you should also pack patience. Finding a parking space can be a challenge.
"Oh, I love this. This is great. Crowds are kinda tough. My buddy actually hopped over a little kid, but we worked around it," shopper Brendan Cox said.
Traffic around the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets in Wrentham was steady hours before sunrise.
Christmas is exactly one month away, so shoppers will be busy crossing items off their holiday lists. But retailers are thinking about keeping holiday spirits high among shoppers.
Binni Patel points out the mall has many special events scheduled for the holiday season.
"We're really excited about our Give Love campaign this year, where we're going to be spreading a lot of joy to all of our shoppers. We're going to start with the big guy himself, Santa is here through Christmas Eve. We have a great pet photo night. So, if you have little furry friends at home, make sure you bring them on Sunday. As well as Caring Santa, which is a great event for families who have children with special needs. We open up the Santa set before the mall officially opens to have a nice quiet, tranquil setting for them. Every weekend, we'll have hot chocolate stations and holiday entertainment," Patel told WBZ.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which started its Black Friday sales nationally on Thursday at 6 p.m., said shoppers were embracing technology products. Steve Bratspies, chief merchandising officer at Wal-Mart's U.S. division, said in addition to Black Friday favorites like televisions and toys, they were looking for drones, virtual reality products and hoverboards. Wal-Mart started its online sale just after midnight on Thanksgiving, three hours earlier than last year. It reported on Friday that 70 percent of the traffic to its website came from mobile devices.
This weekend is crucial to set the tone for the holiday season. Around 137 million people plan to or are considering doing their shopping during the Thanksgiving weekend, according to a survey conducted for the National Retail Federation. That includes online and store shopping. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, vies with the Saturday before Christmas as the busiest shopping day of the year.
The NRF, the nation's largest retail group, expects holiday sales to rise 3.6 percent for November and December, better than the 3 percent growth seen for those months last year. That excludes car sales, gas and restaurant receipts. But it includes online spending and other non-store sales such as catalog spending.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports
