However some stores, such as Sears and many Wal-marts, were open on Thanksgiving Day and shoppers didn't wait.
Channel 2's Erin Coleman found shoppers out early on Thanksgiving, including one family who had already hit three different stores.
"There's no long lines, and there's not too many people in here so not really crowded," one shopper told Coleman. Some shoppers told Coleman they felt a little more optimistic about the economy but they had not decided if they would spend more.
Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Retailers tempt shoppers with gift certificates, elaborate window displays and early-morning specials. Black Friday, which officially starts the holiday shopping period, received its name because it historically was the day when a surge of shoppers helped stores break into profitability for the full year.
Shopper turnout for Black Friday sales will be a strong indicator of whether consumers will spend more this season in the face of economic uncertainty and high unemployment.
This year, many stores offered deals earlier than ever. Some metro-Atlanta malls opened at midnight on Friday, including Discover Mills, North Georgia Premium Outlets, North Point Mall and Tanger Outlet Mall in Commerce. Lenox Square open at 5 a.m.
North Georgia Premium Outlets
Comments