In-store Black Friday shopping returns, but what can people expect this year
MONTEREY COUNTY Calif. (KION) Get ready to hit those stores, Black Friday is back after in-store shopping was restricted last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lining up at the doors after a turkey dinner to grab those golden deals, is a tradition for many. But, have online deals, earlier Black Friday sales and a thinner inventory put a kink in people’s holiday shopping?
That rush to get a head start on Black deals is looked a little different this year. As we head into the second holiday shopping season of the pandemic, things continue to look a little desolate. However, there was one retailer people were flocking to on , not necessarily for those Black prices, but rather for a hard-to-find item at GameStop in Salinas.
“Right now they have a shipment for PlayStation fives, Xbox series Xs and Xbox series Ss and they are really rare to get and they only had a handful,” said shopper, Joseph Quinones.
Shoppers in line mentioned, there were just a little over 20 of these gaming systems, and that the limited amount of these consoles is due to part shortages and supply chain issues. Making it hard for gamers to get their hands on these devices.
“I’m waiting for the Nintendo Switch (FLASH) You can’t get it anywhere online and I really wanted it,” mentioned shopper, Will Bao.
So waiting in line for a few hours to check out, was worth it.
"I got here around two-o-clock. It’s not the normal Senecio that's going on so when they found out, people came out, got in line, and see if they could get something for the holidays," continued Quinones.
Other shoppers said they’ve already been able to find Black deals ahead of the actual day. And though online shopping was the way to go last year in the midst of the Pandemic.
"It's just been a long time since I went outside for shopping instead of just shopping online," said Bao.
The National Retail Federation forecasts record holiday spending. Predicting retail sales will jump more than 10%. On Black , 64% are likely to shop in stores, up from 51% last year.
Many of the giant retailers also kept their doors closed this , however, most opened early to kickstart Black
