WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — It's the Friday following Thanksgiving, marking the start of Christmas shopping with people looking for deals on items that include toys, clothing, jewelry and electronics.
At Palm Beach Outlets in West Palm Beach, it's busy Friday night. Folks like Eldriana Christian are on a mission for Black Friday sales.
"Some of them are good. We went to the Tillys and we got our shirts, like, buy one, get one for 50% off. So, that was good. They had nice sales in there," she said.
The Palm Beach Outlets has more 130 big box stores.
The National Retail Federation said nearly 2 million more people than last year, when people stayed home because of the coronavirus pandemic, are expected to shop from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday this year.
In fact, the federation said it is expecting another record-breaking holiday season this year and Thanksgiving weekend will play a major role.
Wim Decree saod he's following his wife around.
"I wouldn't have come but my wife is very convincing," he said.
For those looking to shop strictly local, Northwood Village is the place to go. Streets have been blocked off and some of the vendors have come outdoors. For shoppers, the experience is much different than ordering from Amazon online.
"They want to come into the shop businesses and have those times where they can pick up and see, feel," Will Davis, the owner of Day by Day Shoppe, said.
He said the entire weekend of shopping is important to small businesses.
"Black Friday, for us small businesses, isn't as large as which will be tomorrow, Shop Small Businesses Saturday, which that's when full force all those small businesses truly get to glow and shine," he said.
Even though there have been supply chain issues lately, Christian wasn't too concerned.
"I really wasn't thinking about it," she said.
