Black Friday shoppers venture out
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Shoppers headed to Tanger Outlets Friday morning in search of Black Friday sales.
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Black Friday shoppers line up outside the Nike store at Tanger Outlet. The outlet opened at 6 a.m.
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Shopping crowds were smaller than usual on Black Friday due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but at Tanger Outlet, lines formed at some stores as customers waited to go inside. Stores limited the number of shoppers permitted inside.
Black Friday shopping looks different this year: shorter lines, social distancing, and less crowded parking lots.
Still, shoppers ventured out to local malls and stores amid the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to snag some deals.
At Tanger Outlets, Christy Williams of Republic arrived at 7 a.m. and found some bargains at Bath and Body Works and Under Armour. Her husband waited in the car while she browsed through other stores.
“I’m not one of those crazy shoppers, but I try to get out on Black Friday and find a few sales,” said Williams. “Some of the lines were a little longer this morning, but it wasn’t as crowded as it has been in other years.”
Nicole Baculik, manager at Tanger Outlets, said the Black Friday crowds were smaller than normal.
“There were not as many (shoppers) as we usually anticipate,” said Baculik. “We were not expecting 5,000 people to come in over two hours, like we have in the past. But people seem ready to spend money, by looking at the bags people are carrying around.”
By 5:30 a.m., lines had formed at some of the bigger stores, like Nike, Kate Spade, Adidas and Under Armour, but shoppers were socially distanced and wearing masks, Baculik said.
Stores limited the number of customers who could enter at one time, and some required shoppers to use hand sanitizer before entering.
Most local retailers, including Tanger, had their doors closed on Thanksgiving, and opened sometime Friday morning.
Baculik said stores also launched Black Friday sales two weeks ago and will extend deals through the weekend or Dec. 1, in order to reduce the crush of shoppers during the pandemic.
In addition, retailers moved doorbuster deals online to allow people to shop safely from the comfort of their home.
While there might not be as much foot traffic, people were shopping more purposefully, Baculik said.
Sheila Pamplin, who lives near Atlanta, Ga., visited the outlets Friday morning with her husband, their son, who lives in Allegheny County, their daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren.
“We’re just doing some Christmas shopping; we’re not looking for anything in particular. We’re social distancing, staying and wearing our masks, so we’re not too concerned safety-wise,” said Pamplin, who was waiting in line to enter the Nike store.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised shoppers to shop online on Black Friday, to use curbside pickup if they venture to stores, and to opt for open-air shopping centers over enclosed malls.
At Washington Crown Center, one shopper said she wasn’t shopping for a particular Christmas gift, but “I was bored at home and decided to come out.”
“I’m not super COVID-fearful, and I take my precautions,” said the Amity woman, who was wearing a mask.
She planned to visit Walmart before heading home.
Washington Crown Center opened at 9 a.m. Friday, and the stores were empty early on.
“The crowds were very, very sparse, but they steadily picked up,” said general manager Civil Knox. “We’re anticipating a good day, although we’re not really sure what to expect.”
The mall will be open until 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and is hosting a Holiday Marketplace with 30 vendors through Sunday.
And on Saturday, I Made It! Market will host a Small Business Saturday Marketplace event at Tanger Outlet from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. About 30 vendors will set up shop at the pop-up event.
The pop-up market will also be held on Dec. 12 at 4 p.m.
At Walmart, where lines typically are long and the store is crowded, shoppers navigated around the store easily.
Walmart had announced last month that it would spread out its Black Friday deals over three weekends in November in order to reduce crowds during the pandemic.
Former Washington County resident Rebecca Brown of Boston said she completed her Christmas shopping online, with the exception of a hair salon gift card and a Yeti.
“Everything was ordered online and is done,” she said.