GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Thanksgiving night was an evening of shopping for many across the Green Bay area.
Parking lots were packed and lines were long at Target and Bay Park Square Mall Thursday night, as shoppers fought through the tryptophan and gobbled up deals. And while many view Thanksgiving as a day for family, some shoppers say they made time for both.
“We’ve got to get out steps in to work off that big lunch. We did have our family time,” Olivia says.
Mason outside of Target says “it’s kind of like an extension of family time actually, we think it’s enjoyable to come out here and look at stuff.”
We found Craig sitting alone amid a collection of shopping bags at the mall. He tells WTAQ News “I went to three Thanksgivings and then I went shopping!”
Crowds filled the aisles of Target and every hall of Bay Park Square Mall, but it wasn’t the chaotic hysteria that is usually associated with Black Friday and early deals.
“It wasn’t as busy as we thought, and it was a pretty good time all around,” Mason says.
Experienced shopper Mary, who was wearing a sweater embroidered with the words ‘Team Black Friday’, tells us “it’s a lot better than it used to be.”
A few shops in the mall appeared to be at capacity, with lines waiting outside the doors. But as one shopper pointed out, the availability to shop on Thursday makes those line significantly shorter than past Black Fridays.
“I think it’s a smart way for stores to manage how much traffic is going through because Friday gets pretty hectic. So if people can get their shopping done on Thursday, I think it really helps lighten up the stores and free space up,” says Megan.
The in-store shoppers say they prefer to see the actual product before buying it, but add that their shopping will likely be a mix of in-person and online purchases.
