NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio — Black Friday has officially arrived, driving shoppers from across Northeast Ohio to area stores and shopping malls.
The crowds were much smaller in comparison to years past, but steady nonetheless.
Best Buy in North Olmsted opened up at 5 a.m.
News 5 captured a line of roughly two dozen shoppers waiting outside the store.
Some of them arrived around 4 a.m. in an attempt to score the best steals and deals possible.
Many of them knew exactly what they wanted before even stepping foot inside the retailer.
The deals were posted online almost a week ago giving them adequate time to formulate a plan.
The vast majority of shoppers came seeking out smart TVs, laptops, tablets, gaming systems, air fryers, and electric scooters.
The most popular and sought-after item is a PlayStation 5 gaming system.
Shoppers showed up early because they weren't allowed to purchase it online in advance.
The National Retail Federation forecasts holiday sales during November and December to grow between 6% and 8% in 2021.
That's upwards of $960 billion spent on various items.
Data shows more than 166 million people plan to shop from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday this year.
Consumer experts say between inflation and supply chain issues, sales will remain relatively strong with the average shopper spending around $700 this holiday season.
However, Kyle James, founder of Rather-Be-Shopping.com says to do your research ahead of time.
Many of the top deals have been online since mid-November, as retailers work to extend the holiday shopping season.
Those deals will continue until Cyber Monday.
James says electronics online are a big draw and you can save a lot, depending on where you look.
Best Buy offered up some laptops for as low as $99.
Clothing in-store is greatly discounted, as well.
Small appliances like blenders, coffee makers, and pressure cookers are 40-50% off at many stores.
James says do your research before you step foot in the store.
The quality of many steeply-priced electronics may be a lower grade.
To check out the best times and places to shop click here.
