After the COVID-19 pandemic weakened Black Friday in 2020, stores and shoppers were back in full swing this year, heading to Valley malls to take advantage of the early morning offers.
Sarah Miller, branch manager for Bath & Body Works at Tempe Marketplace, said there has been a “very steady” flow of people in the store since it opened at 6:00 am on Friday.
The store was at full capacity, unlike last year’s Black Friday which caused them to cut capacity by 50% due to the pandemic. Although it was much busier, Miller said customers were polite and in “great spirits”.
“I have a feeling we usually aren’t as crazy about things as you are at Best Buy or Target,” she said. “We’re running our Buy 3 Get 3 Special – it’s a pretty straightforward promotion, but it’s one of the best deals we make every year. It makes it a little less confusing for customers.”
Popular items included pre-made gift sets and candles with three wicks. Miller said the company will have a “really big” candle promotion in December, which means Friday won’t be the last chance for big savings.
“It’s going to be our busiest day – it’s kind of a dress rehearsal for it,” she said.
Among the buyers from Bath & Body Works was Mary Dyke, who scoured the store before meeting relatives for lunch.
Dyke said she uses Bath & Body Works products “all the time” but usually avoids shopping on Black Friday. However, after entering the store, she said, “It’s not as bad as I thought it would be.”
“I think it’s definitely doable,” she said. “I thought it was really hectic – I’ve heard stories of people being knocked down and it’s just very normal but busy. I would do it again.”
Kathy Valentine, branch manager for Nordstrom Rack, said she “definitely saw an increase in traffic” on Friday compared to last year. “I think people are just more comfortable and ready to have a normal vacation,” she said.
Valentine said customers were “very friendly and nice” and ready to get in the holiday mood. This included Kristen Marin, who said Nordstrom Rack was high on her shopping list on Friday.
“There’s something for everyone,” she told The Arizona Republic, adding that she had already brought kids’ shoes, a shower curtain, and a sweater for herself.
Marin said she was “all about the eviction” and noted the store had cut prices for these items by 40%.
She said she and her husband have a tradition of doing Christmas shopping on Black Friday and that she was glad to make progress in the late morning.
“It’s a lot of pressure but at least I can get off to a good start,” she said.
Shoppers go to Westgate, Tangier in Glendale
Brittney Ullman, owner of La Lady Designs, a small clothing boutique in Glendale’s Westgate Entertainment District, said the crowds were rather calm throughout the day.
According to Ullman, Westgate is a place in the Valley better known for its wide variety of activities, from bowling and movies to outdoor ice skating, which usually opens from early November to mid-January each year.
“We don’t have a department store here or a target to pull people here at 8 a.m. Usually they’re in Tangier,” she said.
Tanger Outlet Phoenix, an outlet mall next to Westgate, definitely caught shoppers’ attention this Black Friday.
According to Gloria Álvarez, a woman who has been shopping in Tangier outlets with her son since Friday morning said that the mall has long lines in almost every store and that the car lines stretch around the mall.
“I even saw people get out of the car and go to the mall to do some shopping while the driver kept waiting in line to find a parking space,” she told Álvarez.
She said it took her more than 20 minutes to find a parking space.
Álvarez said she hopes to shop in clothing stores and is mainly interested in finding Black Friday deals in the Adidas outlet. But was discouraged when she walked in. “It was very busy and we just decided to go home,” she said.
Zachary Wormann, a long-time Just Sports employee at Westgate, said Friday wasn’t as busy as it has been in previous years for the holidays, but he said sales started early Friday afternoon and the store was busier than normal days.
“This year I would say is a takeover from last year, a lot of people are worried about the pandemic and stuff,” he said.
Ullman said the mall gets busier in the afternoon.
“Some people have been shopping somewhere across the street all day and are here for dinner now,” she said. “(They are) come after they’ve done their shopping, for dinner and just to be out together.”
Reach the reporter at bfrank@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8529. Follow her on Twitter @brieannafrank. You can reach Breaking News reporter Laura Daniella Sepulveda at lsepulveda@lavozarizona.com or on Twitter @lauradNews.
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