Is online shopping changing Black Friday? Here’s what it looked like in SLO County
With stomachs full from Thanksgiving dinner the night before, shoppers around San Luis Obispo County hit various stores to cash in on Black Friday deals on Friday morning.
But, with more and more holiday deals offered online, what does Black Friday look like in San Luis Obispo County?
“Right now it is the online orders really keeping us busy,” said Rhonda Nesbitt, a service and engagement team lead at Target on Los Osos Valley Road in San Luis Obispo.
Nesbitt said she thinks online shopping has changed the way people shop on what was previously the king of holiday buying days. She added that for in-person shopping, they generally expect a rush of shoppers in the afternoon.
At Target, the self-checkout line was on the long side, but registers maintained relatively short, quick-moving lines throughout the morning.
Best Buy in San Luis Obispo on 255 Madonna Road was also relatively tame Friday morning, with only a few shoppers coming in and out every few minutes.
Both Target and Best Buy are offering the same deals on online orders as they are in-store, which may have pushed many to skip the lines.
“I wonder if we should have shopped online to find something for your dad,” one Best Buy shopper said to her granddaughter.
Data compiled by Drive Research showed that 2.5 times more people plan to shop online for Black Friday deals than those shopping in stores. According to the data, 82% of people surveyed said they plan on shopping online during Cyber Week.
Amazon, according to Drive Research, is poised to be the favorite online shopping destination for those looking for Black Friday deals at the click of a button, accounting for 88% of shoppers.
For those willing to brave the crowds in person, there are sure to be limited-time deals.
At Target, many of the deals can be found in electronics and clothes and accessories. In need of a new TV? Target was offering 50-inch flat-screen smart TVs for just under $250.
“That is actually pretty epic,” said a shopper who was eyeing the deals on televisions in the San Luis Obispo location Friday.
Sweaters, fleece and sleepwear were also seeing big deals up to 30% off Books, movies and music were all buy two, get one free and action figures and playsets were on sale for 50% off retail price.
These deals run through Saturday with more expected to pop up online on Cyber Monday.
Shoppers could also see significant markdowns on Best Buy electronics: For example, a 77-inch 4K flat-screen TV was being sold for $1,999.99 — a $1,600 markdown from its usual price of $3,599.99.
Holiday shopping expected to increase nationally, survey shows
Whether online or in store, the holiday weekend is still anticipated to be a big occasion in San Luis Obispo County and around the nation.
According to the National Retail Federation, an estimated 182 million people were planning to shop in-store and online from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday this year. That’s up 15.7 million from last year’s estimate, and is the highest estimate since the group began tracking this data in 2017.
“The Thanksgiving holiday weekend marks some of the busiest shopping days of the year, as consumers enjoy the tradition of shopping for the perfect gifts for friends and loved ones,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a news release. “Retailers have been preparing for months for this occasion. They are stocked and ready to help customers find the gifts and other items they want at great prices during the entire holiday season.”
Of those surveyed, Black Friday was expected to continue to be the most popular day to shop, with 72% planning to shop that day, up from only 69% in 2022. Cyber Monday was the second most popular day, with 39% planning to shop over the weekend. That’s roughly the same as the 38% expected last year.
