'Pleasantly surprised': Panama City Beach 2021 Black Friday shoppers see fewer crowds

Nathan Cobb, The News Herald
·2 min read

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Pier Park was not nearly as packed for Black Friday as Emily Marshall expected.

However, the Alabama resident, who is visiting family in Bay County and who had completed her shopping by about 11:30 a.m., still was among the hundreds of people who flooded the popular outlet mall on Friday to take advantage of the day's deals.

Emily Marshall, an Alabama resident visiting family in Bay County for Thanksgiving, said Pier Park was not as packed for Black Friday as she expected.
Emily Marshall, an Alabama resident visiting family in Bay County for Thanksgiving, said Pier Park was not as packed for Black Friday as she expected.

"It was very, very enjoyable this morning," she said with multiple bags in hand. "I only encountered a couple of long lines. It's actually one of the easiest Black Fridays I've (experienced) in years.

"... I was pleasantly surprised," Marshall added. "Besides two very long lines, it seemed like a typical shopping day at the Beach."

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Like Marshall, Kim Fowler and her daughter, Brooke Gibson, said they were prepared to grapple with much longer lines and many more people at Pier Park.

As they sat on a bench outside Old Navy, Fowler and Gibson said they drove about an hour from Bristol to spend the day shopping in Panama City Beach. They also noted at almost noon that there still were quite a few more stores they wanted to check out.

The two arrived in Panama City Beach about 9:30 a.m.

"We thought we would have to park way, way away, so it's been much better than I think it ever has," Fowler said. "(I think) a lot of people probably still shop online more."

"We don't have anything (like Pier Park) in our small town, so it's either Tallahassee or Panama (City Beach)," Gibson added. "We still have a long ways to go. ... (Black Friday) is the best time to get winter clothes and stuff because everything is on sale."

Although hundreds of people flocked to Pier Park on Friday to take advantage of Black Friday deals, many shoppers said the outlet mall was not as packed as they expected.
Although hundreds of people flocked to Pier Park on Friday to take advantage of Black Friday deals, many shoppers said the outlet mall was not as packed as they expected.

Some big-box retailers, such as Kohl's and Target, extended their Black Friday deals this year to offer shoppers a larger window to take advantage of deals.

Kohl's, for example, kicked off its six-day savings event on Nov. 21, allowing online purchases after midnight and in-store shopping after 8 a.m. Target's Black Friday deals also run Sunday through Saturday.

Along with the many avid Black Friday shoppers who flocked to Pier Park on Friday, Cassandra Childs, an Atlanta resident, said she was there to simply walk around, "window shop" and enjoy the day's nice weather.

For her, Black Friday is less about discounted prices and more about spending time with family during the holiday season.

"I think it's just a time people (can spend) with their family ... and they come out just to enjoy one another," Childs said. "If you look around, a lot of people don't even have bags. They're just out enjoying (themselves)."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Beach Florida Black Friday shopping less busy this year