Small crowds for Black Friday deals

Small crowds for Black Friday deals

November 27th.

I'm chris lueneburg.

Jaimie hays has the day off.

One of the busiest shopping days of the year is here.

Black friday is normally associated with door-buster deals and long lines of customers waiting hours to get their hands-on coveted merchandise at a steep discount but in the midst of pandemic?when large crowds are strongly discouraged if not forbidden?will people show up?

Kezi 9 news reporter jacob roberts joins us live from outside best buy in springfield.

Jacob, how's it looking out there?

Shopping season -- with many stores choosing to open thier doors today instead of starting early on thanksgiving.

Many retailers also started their sales earlier this year online.

This is what stores used to look like --- but these crowds are not allowed this year.

Despite a reduction on shopping hours... the national retail foundation says comsumers are expected to spend over 730 billion dollars this holiday season.

This is up nearly 4 percent -- from last year.

Retailers started offering those black friday deals earlier in stores-- and even earlier online.

"jackson velarde?corvallis resident: " with covid going on, it's really quiet and really limited.

So, i'm glad that i got here at least early enough to be one of the first, like, twenty people in line.

//stitch// i know it was a bit foolish to come this year because of covid and everything, but i just wanted to do it for the experience."

19sec" the national retail foundation found that*96 percent of stores are expecting an increase in online sales during this holiday season.

We'll continue to keep an eye on the lines here at best buy throughout the morning.

Coming up in the next half hour, we'll tell you what other stores have planned, and the changes that have to be made because of coronavirus.

Live in springfield, jr, kezi 9