CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) -- There was already a crowd at Chesterfield Towne Center when the mall opened its doors this year at 7 p.m. on what’s being called “Brown Thursday.”
Since then, it’s been a steady stream of shoppers.
“For like 25 years! We've done it for 25 years in a row. We've never missed a year,” said one shopper.
While many of these shoppers decided to take advantage of the early opening, CBS 6 News went back to the mall on the traditional "Black Friday" to see if the crowds were still holding steady due to the extended hours.
CBS 6’s Lorenzo Hall says there was still a large crowd, even at 1pm on Black Friday. Hall talked with many shoppers who say they wanted to enjoy Thanksgiving and wait until a decent hour the following day to shop with family. “We were still recovering from all that turkey,” said Shopper, Gary Knight.
One of the managers of Chesterfield Towne Center said that because of the earlier hours, people are now shopping in waves, which means retailers aren't overwhelmed by the large crowds at one time.
“It works for us. It lets people manage the situation better with fewer crowds,” said manager Stuart Klein.
Shoppers like, Amy Hart, say it helps them, too.
“Last year was the same way. It was a bit calmer when we got here because people had been out the night before. I think. Then, they're sleeping and they'll come out this afternoon and we'll be gone,” said Hart.
If you think the stores opened up extremely early this year, mall managers say it'll be up to retailers to decide if they open up even earlier next year.
