TAMPA, Fla. — Black Friday remains the busiest shopping day of the year, but compared to what it used to be, it simply isn’t the same.
For years the Best Buy in Tampa off Dale Mabry was well known as a spot shoppers would camp out to snag early morning deals.
Instead, this year, the store saw a steady stream of customers, many opting to sleep in while still finding plenty of deals.
“We don’t have to be so crowded; there was a good parking spot; it was a good time to come out,” said Jasmine Orich, who is taking advantage of savings on TVs.
Orich and her mom make shopping on Black Friday a family tradition. They said their years of waiting in line to be the first one in the door are over, and they don’t feel like they’re missing out on anything.
Black Friday is far from a bust, though. The National Retail Federation expects more than 183 million people will shop on Black Friday, but the vast majority will make their purchases online.
As online sales grow, the days of camping out at midnight for a doorbuster deal seem to have passed, and stores are shifting their strategies to get customers in the door.
“We’re really focused on affordability this year,” said Kaila Payne, Store director at the Target in Riverview.
Payne said Target is offering in-store exclusives as a way to incentivize customers to come into the store.
“We do have a couple deals that are in-store specific, like the Taylor Swift book we just like to hype up that day and really have the guests come out,” she said.
Many retailers are turning a day of savings into a week, rolling out deals earlier. Best Buy is even offering door buster deals every Friday. Meanwhile, Target has another strategy.
“We have deals of the day each day where guests can come out and get a special item that day only on sale,” Payne added.
For families like Orich’s, it’s not stopping their Black Friday traditions, but it is changing their holiday shopping. They said they’re already feeling pressure from concern over their finances and the economy.
"I feel like the deals are not as good with the economy," Orich added.
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