BUFFALO (WBEN) - With the revolution of online shopping, Black Friday isn't nearly as insane as it used to be, but the crazy deals still pull shoppers out of bed in the overnight and early morning hours.
Katie McCarthy was at the Kohl's on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo at about 6 a.m. (but it was the second time she had been there), and she hasn't slept since she woke up at 7:15 a.m. on Wednesday. She also added that she's a pretty frequent Black Friday shopper, but that's understandable considering how packed her December schedule is.
"I have two kids whose birthdays are in December, and there's Christmas, and my nephew's birthday is in two days, so yeah, I'm doing a whole lot of birthday shopping along with Christmas shopping," she said.
While Kohl's opened for Black Friday on Wednesday afternoon, the early morning hours, while busy for an early morning, weren't as packed as some might expect. However, Cabela's was a completely different animal.
A completely packed parking lot at Cabela's this Black Friday morning... pic.twitter.com/1VGLuTe20t
— WBEN NewsRadio 930AM (@NewsRadio930) November 29, 2019Inside, Cabela's was almost completely filled with people, and it was difficult to even find a parking space. The store began its big holiday sale on Wednesday, but there were som items that only went on sale for a couple of hours on Black Friday, which explains the scene. There were about 50-60 shoppers waiting in the checkout line at 7:20, and some employees began their shift at 3 a.m. to prepare for the madness.
Best Buy was open until the early morning hours, but they closed and then reopened at 8 a.m.
Nothing too crazy yet, but a decent line already forming outside of Best Buy (doors open at 8). pic.twitter.com/6jatzcNdzL
— WBEN NewsRadio 930AM (@NewsRadio930) November 29, 2019Before the doors officially opened, there were a good 75-100 people waiting in line to get in, some of them waiting for about an hour. Renee Hamann was there about 40 minutes ahead of time, and she described what she's looking for.
"If my husband's listening, hopefully he won't be, it's a tablet and some Air Pods for my daughter" she said, laughing.
She explained that she's typically not the type to be out on Black Friday but exceptions were made this year.
"No, this is the first year in about 10 years," said Hamann. "My daughter had off from school - I figured it might be something fun to do, so she's down at another store while I'm standing here waiting."
