Thanksgiving has come and gone and we go from turkey to the treasure hunt that is Black Friday, the official first shopping day of the Christmas season."I started to save up a little bit just so I can get some things for Black Friday for the holidays, obviously, so I can get some things from my friends and family,” said John Mark Williams, a Black Friday shopper checking out Best Buy in Eastgate.Stores are traditionally packed with crowds of folks and there are lines weaving through shopping centers all in the name of scoring some good deals."I like being in the crowd. I like to see in everyone go crazy over all the deals, but it's crazy because they're saving maybe, what, $10-20?. But you know that money can go somewhere else with it,” said Octavia King at the Eastgate Best Buy.But this year's showing of shoppers was pretty tame — the Cincinnati Premium Outlets didn't pick up speed until 6 a.m. or so and the Best Buy parking lot in Eastgate seemed pretty thin. Some stores even cutting back on hours than what they would before COVID-19."This COVID stuff sucks. Just because all the stores are closed all night,” King said.Some shoppers reminisced on years past and said Black Friday, just isn’t the same."I remember when I was younger, like a lot of people will be running around like it'd be kind of crazy. But now it's kind of like, you know, slowed down a little bit. Now they make you wait in line. They make you come in like, maybe five or 10 at a time sometimes,” Williams said.Though a tad less chaotic than in previous years, with shipping delays expected this holiday season, hitting the brick and mortars might be your best bet."You're going to leave with a physical gift in your hand right that you can take home. Maybe even pick up some gifts for a while you're here at the mall, wrap it up, put it right under the tree and you don't have to worry about any of those delays,” said Anne Winegardner, the director of marketing and business development at the Cincinnati Premium Outlets.
Thanksgiving has come and gone and we go from turkey to the treasure hunt that is Black Friday, the official first shopping day of the Christmas season.
"I started to save up a little bit just so I can get some things for Black Friday for the holidays, obviously, so I can get some things from my friends and family,” said John Mark Williams, a Black Friday shopper checking out Best Buy in Eastgate.
Stores are traditionally packed with crowds of folks and there are lines weaving through shopping centers all in the name of scoring some good deals.
"I like being in the crowd. I like to see in everyone go crazy over all the deals, but it's crazy because they're saving maybe, what, $10-20?. But you know that money can go somewhere else with it,” said Octavia King at the Eastgate Best Buy.
But this year's showing of shoppers was pretty tame — the Cincinnati Premium Outlets didn't pick up speed until 6 a.m. or so and the Best Buy parking lot in Eastgate seemed pretty thin. Some stores even cutting back on hours than what they would before COVID-19.
"This COVID stuff sucks. Just because all the stores are closed all night,” King said.
Some shoppers reminisced on years past and said Black Friday, just isn’t the same.
"I remember when I was younger, like a lot of people will be running around like it'd be kind of crazy. But now it's kind of like, you know, slowed down a little bit. Now they make you wait in line. They make you come in like, maybe five or 10 at a time sometimes,” Williams said.
Though a tad less chaotic than in previous years, with shipping delays expected this holiday season, hitting the brick and mortars might be your best bet.
"You're going to leave with a physical gift in your hand right that you can take home. Maybe even pick up some gifts for a while you're here at the mall, wrap it up, put it right under the tree and you don't have to worry about any of those delays,” said Anne Winegardner, the director of marketing and business development at the Cincinnati Premium Outlets.
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