CINCINNATI — Waking up early and standing in long lines for Black Friday deals has been the norm for shoppers over the years. But Black Friday isn’t what it use to be.
What You Need To Know
- 69% of people are expected to shop online this year for Black Friday
- This year, many stores closed early so people had to do their shopping early Friday morning
- To avoid long lines, one shopper said he paid for items online and then picked them up in-store
- To avoid crowds all together, some shoppers suggest just shopping online instead
Every year, Kevin Elder goes Black Friday shopping. This year he had his eye on a DJI Avata drone at Best Buy.
“I do a lot of videography and (it’s) one that just kind of fits the kind of videos that I make,” said Elder. “So it works. It should work perfect for what I want.”
But before he went shopping, he checked out the deals online.
“Yeah, I had researched before but I was waiting for to see if there were any deals for Black Friday,” he said.
69% of people are expected to shop online this year for Black Friday, according to a national survey by Drive Research. And although Elder has shopped in person for years, he says online shopping is the way to go.
“A lot of people do it online now to avoid the crowds,” said Elder. “I think some people do it for fun, though. They like to go out and be in a busy place and try and find all the deals still. But it’s way easier now. If you do want to avoid crowds, just go online.”
This is also because many stores either close early or are closed on Thanksgiving. But Elder said people still get up early on Friday to get the deals they want. However, he finds store pick up to be the best bet.
“I think it’s fun, but you got to wake up early,” he said. “You know, it’s cool. I’d rather maybe look online and find exactly what I want and then go.”
