CHARLESTON, W.Va. — It’s officially the holiday shopping season. Hundreds of stores across West Virginia opened on Thanksgiving and many will stay open through the holiday weekend.
Just like in previous years, a large number of shoppers in West Virginia are expected to hit the stores on Black Friday, but those with the West Virginia Retailers Association are predicting those numbers to be higher.
“We are expecting a slight increase over last year,” said West Virginia Retailers Association Director Bridget Lambert.
The higher number of shoppers has Lambert and retailers excited about the annual event, but that isn’t the only thing. She said some projections indicate shoppers will be spending more during the next month.
In reaction to the increased projections, retailers are making sure they have the best deals possible and stocking up on the necessary items. They are also continuing with a new tradition by opening up earlier.
“Retailers started opening on Thursday last year and, because of the customer response, we are doing it again this year,” she said. “I think they are responding to consumer demand.”
Lambert said, for many people, hitting the stores after the turkey is a sport of sorts.
“The tradition for guys on Thanksgiving day is to kick back and watch football and it appears, for the females in the household, it’s let’s plan and go shopping,” she said.