MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Shoppers bundled up outside Dolphin Mall in Sweetwater before dawn Friday, braving chilly temperatures to be among the first inside as Black Friday deals got underway.
“And good thing we brought the blanket because we’re freezing. We have hoodies, blankets, chairs.
“Would you ever do this again?” asked Local 10’s Gabrielle Arzola.
“Probably not,” one shopper said while waiting for the doors to open.
Some camped out for hours.
The first person in line arrived at 12:30 a.m., hoping to score a gift card Bass Pro Shops offered to the first 250 customers. By the time the mall opened at 5 a.m., more than 100 people were already in line.
Many said they weren’t necessarily shopping for Christmas gifts.
Instead, they were hoping to grab something for themselves at a steep discount.
Still, national trends show most shoppers are staying home. A survey from Drive Research found that 71% of consumers planned to shop online Friday, compared with 29% who expected to shop in person.
For those who did make the trip, many said they came out simply to create memories with friends and family.
“At the end of the day, people always want to go spend time with their families, go to the mall, go see what the stores are showcasing,” said Madelyn Bello-Calvar, senior marketing sponsor at Dolphin Mall. “Nothing better than the holiday season to see and spend time with your family and go shopping and it’s just an experience. You can’t get that online is very quick.”
Shoppers also poured into Sawgrass Mills early Friday, forming long lines outside some of the mall’s most popular stores as crowds grew steadily throughout the morning.
By midmorning, lines outside retailers like Lululemon and Tory Burch stretched far beyond their entrances.
At Lululemon, the line wound so far around the mall that the end was no longer visible. Across the walkway, the line for Tory Burch ran “all the way down,” past Saint Laurent.
Some shoppers have turned the tradition into a team effort.
A group of women who have waited together for years before Lululemon’s doors open said they’ve developed an annual strategy: they enter as a group, grab what each person needs and regroup.
About an hour later, they emerged again — shopping bags in hand.
“I was able to find half the things I wanted to get, you know, but it’s an outlet, so it’s definitely I was surprised at the prices,” one shopper told Local 10’s Jolena Esperto. “They were great. Like one Jones, he picked out an expensive jacket and I was afraid because it said $109 on it and it came out to be $44. I was like, OK.”
Despite the crowds, shoppers described the morning as festive and cooperative.
Shoppers were advised to plan for long waits throughout the day as lines showed little sign of shrinking.
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