ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ) – While some people were excited to grab their deals early on Black Friday, the annual morning mobs seemed to be quite tame this year.
In the hours following the initial opening, however, crowds stacked up traffic, filled the parking lots, and stormed storefronts to find their perfect presents.
The search for early rising Black Friday doorbuster crowds was a bit of a bust.
Outside of Best Buy, we expected to see a line wrapping around the corner of the building. But just an hour prior to the doors opening there was nothing but reporters, snow, and a chilly breeze.
Bay Park Square Mall fared better, pulling in a crowd as the doors opened at 5 a.m.
There were a handful of people who waited outside to get in.
“We’re standing in the snow, but otherwise it’s been pretty good so far,” Mariana tells WTAQ News, “I got here at 11:30 p.m. last night.”
The next person to show up after her arrived around 3:30 a.m.
“I showed up around 4:30 a.m. I think?” Justice says, “I’m just here to see what they’ve got for the tote bag and to shop around the mall a little bit.”
When the mall and stores officially opened at 6 a.m., the mall offered tote bags with small shopping survival kits to the first one-hundred shoppers in line. Some of those bags also had prizes, including gift cards.
Tayah from Crivitz was the big winner, and she wasn’t there for very long.
“I was in line for 15-20 minutes, and I won a $500 gift card,” Tayah says.
The crowds at the opening bell were not quite at the level seen at the mall on Thursday evening, but there was optimism that more people would arrive.
“Last year it was busy throughout the whole entire day, and we are anticipating that and more this year,” Bay Park Square Mall Marketing Director Kelly Schoen says, “the holiday season, in general, is months of planning, starting with Santa’s arrival. And that really kicks off our holiday season here. Then Thanksgiving and Black Friday is that next big push towards the end of the season.”
Most shoppers we spoke with appreciate being able to see and hold something before making the ultimate purchase and say there are in-store deals you can’t find online. But many say they plan to do a mix of in-person and online shopping this holiday season.
