Is Black Friday a thing of the past? Thanksgiving night might now be the new 'Black Friday.'
- Black Friday crowds were seen out on Thanksgiving night
- Morning of Black Friday saw less people than usual
- Many stores opened Thanksgiving night, drawing in the crowds
In the early morning hours on Black Friday you'd expect to see long lines and lots of shoppers rushing through doors to get the best deals. However, it wasn't like that this year.
Many stores opened on Thanksgiving this year and saw the rush last night. Because so many were out Thanksgiving night, shoppers at Tampa Premium Outlets enjoyed the lull early Friday morning.
"It wasn't that busy at all. We got a great parking spot. There was nobody at Wiregrass either," said one shopper.
Many of the stores that opened Thanksgiving night were hoping to make Black Friday more tame than usual.
"We're responding to our customers and what they want, and what they're looking for as a convenient time to shop," one retailer said.
One international student from Bangledesh went out to experience her first Black Friday in the U.S., but it wasn't what she was expecting. There were no crowds, no craziness. But the deals were still the same and she was able to get her Christmas shopping done at a fraction of the price.
"It was absolutely crazy, we were going up to stores, we've always seen these dresses for $100-$200, and they were like $55," said shopper Afsana Subha.
With more people going out to shop on Thanksgiving, could this mean Black Friday will become a thing of the past?
No matter what you call it, you can't beat the savings to kick off the official start of the holiday season.