It’s round two for shoppers at the Tampa Premium Outlets. The stores opened Thanksgiving night and haven’t closed yet.
Shoppers lined up on Thanksgiving at 6 p.m. for a couple of store favorites, Coach and Michael Kors. But those shoppers didn't experience the push-and-shove kind of Black Friday shopping that many big box stores saw.
That calmer experience carried over into Friday.
“Walmart was crazy. People were fighting, hitting each other. It was pulling, throwing each other all over the place,” said shopper Nicole Alan. “I’m glad I wasn’t in the chaos, but I’m glad I’m here. There’s no confusion going on, no mess.”
The parking wasn’t something to complain about either.
“Just a little bit, but you just have to be patient,” shopper Sarah Lopez said about the parking.
Stores are saying it’s been a success so far.
“They were busy last night, but overnight it slowed down,” said Carol Beital, who is the assistant manager at Kitchen Collection. “We had customers all the time, just not like it is right now. It’s been good.”
As for shoppers, it wasn’t just the deals that got them going. It was spending the holiday with family and getting some shopping in, without all the chaos.
“It’s very organized," Lopez said. "I really like it. It’s very pretty too."
The outlets normally close at 9 p.m. but the mall is staying open an extra hour Friday and Saturday.