Close to 152 million shoppers burned the midnight oil on Thanksgiving evening, according to the National Retail Federation, battling lines, crowds, the cold – even pepper spray.
By the end of the night, some of these shoppers believed they saved money, but admitted that they probably would have found other deals without the hassle of Black Friday shopping.
Some also said they bought more than they would have due to the sale mentality.
“I just bought a set of 400 crayons at Toys R Us. And I don’t even have kids!” said Becky Woods at the Kohl’s in Escondido. “They were just on sale so I grabbed them.”
The Black Friday frenzy does offer discounts of up to 60 percent off in some stores, but for Becky and her two sisters, it’s more about the experience, she said.
“We’ve been doing this for years,” Woods said. “It’s definitely a tradition.”
Of course, there are shoppers like Jesus Ocampo, a 19-year-old student at San Diego City college. Ocampo got his place at the front of the Mira Mesa Best Buy line by arriving at 8 a.m. Wednesday morning. He said he didn’t move from his place even to eat.
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“It’s the only way I can be guaranteed what I want,” he said.
Ocampo walked out of Best Buy with a $400 tablet on sale for $250. He said the spare $150 will go toward buying books for school this semester.
While he said the discount was worth the time spent waiting for it, a store manager in Best Buy said most items were re-stocked throughout the night.
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