Shoppers across Connecticut lined up at their favorite stores Friday morning, eager to snag savings and deals.
Black Friday, the annual shopping rite of passage that marks the unofficial start of the holiday season, draws millions of shoppers across the country who are hoping to find a bargain and save on their holiday wishlist. Many retailers offered deals, giveaways, and discounts to entice shoppers to open their wallets.
Major retailers, including Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and others, all opened their doors at 6 a.m.
At Westfarms Mall in Farmington, many stores opened at 6 a.m. and lines formed at the entrances. But some retailers. including J.C. Penny and Macy’s, opened well before 6 a.m., allowing customers to come into their stores a bit earlier. The mall offered its signature savings with several stores offering free goodies, including tote bags and even jeans with select purchases. Westfarms extended hours until 9 p.m. on Black Friday for shoppers to save.
Jake Riccitelli, of Middletown, said that this year was the first time he came to Westfarms on Black Friday. Riccitelli said he typically shops online, but decided to change it up and come in person this year. He said he was expecting around 20% to 30% off at most stores, but was surprised to see the number of discounts and savings this year.
“I think rounding it all up I’ve saved around $300 today, the deals here are much better than I was expecting,” Riccitelli said. “Ever since the pandemic, it’s really nice to see a bustling mall like this. It’s refreshing to see people out and really getting into that holiday spirit. Stuff like this reminds me that we’re back to normal.”
Mallwide hours at Westfarms will be extended for Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“Traditionally Black Friday is that ceremonial kickoff to the holiday shopping season,” said Amanda Sirica, spokesperson for Westfarms. “We’ve seen that expand over time into Gray Thursday the week prior, but this week we saw sales starting earlier than ever. Some sales started two weeks prior to Black Friday. Currently we’re seeing 40, 50, 60% off storewide in several stores and some of the deepest discounts we’ve ever seen. Many sales will continue into the weekend.”
“Retailers have merchandise in store and are excited about the holiday season this year,” she said.
“We’re also seeing high demand, with consumers looking for certain products, so things started a little earlier than usual this year,” Sirica said. “It’s very exciting to see families come out and make today a real event. We see people come in their holiday sweaters, wearing fun antlers, and even pajama bottoms that are holiday themed. It’s just a lot of fun to see people get into that holiday spirit.”
Among the most popular Black Friday destinations at the mall include the LEGO store, Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret, Vineyard Vines, and Yankee Candle, with some stores boasting 50% off storewide sales, according to mall officials. In previous years, shoppers would line up Thanksgiving evening into midnight and doors would open shortly after. But since the pandemic, many retailers and malls in the state don’t open before 6 a.m., Sirica said. Now shoppers have more time to snag deals, as many now run through the weekend.
For other shoppers, Black Friday remains a cherished annual tradition, where families get together to buy presents and share memories, making it a fun experience. Amy Bonneau, of Vernon, said that she comes to the mall each year with her mom and daughters. The annual tradition is less about shopping and more about making family memories, she said. Bonneau and her family, who were all sporting UConn T-shirts, are four generations of UConn Huskies.
“We like to do some of the same things each year: like try on ugly Christmas sweaters, and take goofy pictures, it’s less about shopping and more about the family experience,” she said. “We go to Macy’s, American Eagle, and Hollister. But we’re not looking for specially one thing, we’re just here to look around and have a great time. We really look forward to this as a family each year.”
At the LEGO Store, a line of people was waiting to get in around 6 a.m. when doors opened. Popular LEGO sets this year include Star Wars, Willy Wonka, and ‘Wicked: For Good’ sets.
“We come here every year, it’s a lot of fun,” said Stephen Palmer and his wife Diana of Cromwell. “Today you get four times the points on your purchase and really great discounts on limited edition sets. So we always come here each year to get those deals.”
Palmer, who was wearing a Star Wars T-shirt, said that he came to purchase the Star Wars Millennium Falcon set which was on sale. His wife Diana purchased a Willy Wonka set. The pair said they enjoy building the LEGO sets as family project with their kids, and everyone pitches in to help build them.
“It’s a great team building project,” Palmer said. “We like to come here and get the limited edition sets and then go build them. These will definitely take us a little while to build.”
Sirica said that a lot of college age students visit Westfarms during Black Friday as they are on break. Shoppers from surrounding states also come to the mall while visiting family members in Connecticut, she said. Some shoppers came from as far away as California, while others took a drive up to get to the popular mall.
“I come here each year with my daughter and granddaughter, it’s definitely a tradition,” said Patty Stassi from Wenonah, NJ. “I remember when Black Friday was just really one day. We use to come at 5 a.m. and sit on the bench. I definitely feel less tired now as there’s more time to get the discounts. I have seven grandkids so I’m looking for deals.”
Stassi was with her daughter, Virginia, and granddaughter, Mackenzie Shoniker, of Boston, Mass.
“It’s a little bit of buying for myself and for my family,” Shoniker said. “We make it a whole day experience.”
At Westfarms, the annual center-court Christmas display was set up on Nov. 8, Sirica said. Mall officials said that children can get photos with Santa until Dec. 24. While walk-ins are welcome, the mall strongly encourages reservations. Anyone who books an appointment also receives an advance call from Santa before the photo visit. A “Sensory Santa” experience is planned for Dec. 7, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., in collaboration with Autism Speaks.
The National Retail Federation said they expect a busier than average holiday season this year, with a record 186.9 million people planning to shop from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, according to the group’s consumer survey. The predicted the number of shoppers is up more than 3 million from the previous record of 183.4 million last year, forecasting strong holiday sales this year over last.
The NRF is predicting more than $1 trillion in holiday spending in November and December, a bullish assessment despite economic pressures including inflation, the federation said in a statement. The group also predicts sales in November and December will grow between 3.7% and 4.2% over 2024. By comparison, last year’s holiday sales rose 4.3% over 2023 to reach $976.1 billion.
“American consumers may be cautious in sentiment, yet remain fundamentally strong and continue to drive U.S. economic activity,” NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement. “We remain bullish about the holiday shopping season and expect that consumers will continue to seek savings in nonessential categories to be able to spend on gifts for loved ones.”
Stephen Underwood can be reached at [email protected]