HERSHEY, Pa. — To judge how Black Friday went for Central Pa. retailers, look no further than the parking lot at Tanger Outlets Hershey around noon on Nov. 25.
Drivers honked at pedestrians and other cars caught in gridlock. Many passengers jumped out of their cars to start the shopping while drivers continued the search for a parking spot. The line of cars trying to park spilled onto Hersheypark Dr.
“The parking is absolutely… I almost turned around and went back home. But we actually lucked out and found a spot almost immediately,” said shopper Danielle Gibson.
Not all shoppers were as lucky. Some reported waiting up to an hour in their car.
“We have no place to park,” said Louis Brunner from the passenger seat of a car stuck in the line. “It’s so crazy because nobody’s been able to do this for too long. This is like post-COVID, everybody out.”
Thousands descended upon the outlet stores, eager to make up for the last few years of online shopping due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The National Retail Association expects retail sales will grow to more than $4.86 trillion in 2022, an increase of 6 to 8%. That’s notably higher than the pre-pandemic growth rate of 3.7%.
Online shopping will continue past the pandemic. According to Fit Small Business, 69% of shopping will be online this Black Friday, versus 32 percent in-person.
For many, though, the day isn’t just about shopping.
“Certain things that my nieces and nephews want I can only get online because they have specific things,” Gibson said. “But for regular family stuff we like to come out and even if we don’t buy anything, we like to be amongst everybody on Black Friday.”
Instead of a one-day event, many retailers are extending Black Friday deals to entice shoppers back through the entire holiday season.
