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Shoppers head to stores for Black Friday deals despite rising online sales

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Despite concerns with supply chain issues, inflation and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Black Friday shoppers across West Virginia made their way to stores early in the morning to take advantage of deals.

Scott Peterson was first in line at GameStop at Southridge along Corridor G in Charleston in hopes of taking home a Play Station 5.

“It’s the thought process that I do want to get what I want if it’s a great deal. Sometimes getting there first is the best way to do that,” Peterson said bundled up in a winter coat, hat and gloves at 2:30 a.m. Friday.

The crowd at GameStop started to form four hours before the store opened at 6 a.m.

Robert Santos, of South Charleston, was next in line and said waiting in the cold didn’t bother him as long as he could get what he came there for.

“I came out here to get a Xbox Series X. I’ve been trying to find one for two months, so I thought the best way to do that was to come out here,” Santos said.

Retailers expect online sales this weekend to reach record levels compared to last year. Peterson said the downfall of trying to shop online is you may lose your place in line due to heavy traffic on websites.

“I’ve been looking for nine months trying to find a Play Station 5,” he said. “Everywhere I go, they can’t get them in the store and you can only get them online. The problem with that is, if you’re not there looking refreshing the screen every second, you have about three minutes to get them and then they’re gone.”

For many shoppers, it’s all about the experience. Some make Black Friday shopping part of their Thanksgiving tradition. They eat earlier in the day, take a nap and then head out to the stores. Santos has been doing that for years.

“It’s just something to do,” he said. “Yes, you can probably buy it online for cheaper, but I’d rather come out here and sit in the cold honestly.”

Major retailers like Best Buy, Walmart and Target were closed Thanksgiving Day and reopened early Friday morning.

About 64 percent of shoppers are expected to buy items in stores rather than online, according to retailers.





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