SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Black Friday looked different than we are used to experiencing and while the sight of people rushing through the doors or camping out after Thanksgiving dinner wasn't as present as in previous years, the long lines did form during the day.
Chopper 8 caught aerial footage over Plaza Bonita Mall and Mission Valley, where massive crowds were present at Best Buy, Walmart and Target.
Best Buy Mission Valley was among the few retailers with long lines.
“Pretty much a madhouse,” said Jaime Taylor, a Best Buy Mission Valley shopper.
COVID-19 restrictions changed things up. The 25% in-store capacity and six feet social distancing is making lines longer.
The Taylors said it’s a tradition to shop on Black Friday, so they will wait no matter how long the line is and complicated it gets. They don’t want to miss out, Kioni Taylor wants a PS5 and a Go Pro, and dad Jaime Taylor wants a drone.
“You have to stay in good spirits, unfortunately, we’re dealing with an ordeal with the pandemic,” said Jaime Taylor.
“It’s pretty crazy, the line is so long here at Best Buy, but it’s not that bad inside,” said Seamus O’Conner.
The O’Conners said they could shop online to ditch the line, but they want the hot items now.
“We got a sound bar, but the Play Station is out of stock,” said Casey O’Conner.
The National Retail Federation shows a spending model of this holiday season, comparing nearly two decades.
The expectation is that 2020 will top the charts in spending despite the challenges of this year. However, the spending predictions exclude dining and automotive dealers and focus on retail spending.
According to the NRF, this weekend is the kick-off to holiday shopping and is expected to be the busiest shopping time of the year from Black Friday, Small Business Saturday to Cyber Monday.