Black Friday deal hunters grabbed beauty products, leisurewear and fashion accessories
Black Friday shoppers arrived at the Westfield Garden State Plaza shopping mall in Paramus, New Jersey well before doors opened at 7 a.m. on the day after Thanksgiving, eager to grab deals in at least three specific categories — beauty, athleisure and fashion accessories such as handbags.
Many of the early-bird shoppers were GenZers with well-researched plans of which stores they wanted to target, William Lewis, director of marketing with Westfield Garden State Plaza mall, told Bagable.com.
Beauty stores and fashion brands, including Sephora, Aritzia, Alo, Hollister, Lululemon, and Ugg drew some of the heaviest store traffic, he said, with lines out the door and shoppers carrying multiple bags.
Clothing, especially athleisure, fashion accessories and cosmetics and skincare products were among the strongest-selling categories on Black Friday, he said.
Lewis said crowds remained steady throughout the day and gained momentum into the evening hours.
“People treated Black Friday as more of a marathon than a sprint. They shopped at their favorite retailers, while also taking time to fuel up at restaurants,” Lewis said, adding that Black Friday traffic was robust and comparable to last year, which was the mall’s best year since 2018.
Black Friday typically is considered to mark the start of the year-end holiday gift-buying period. The National Retail Federation, the industry’s largest trade group, expects 187 million people were planning to shop from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday this year, up more than three million total shoppers from a record 183.4 million people who shopped over the four-day period a year ago.
The NRF forecasts overall holiday spending this year to surpass $1 trillion for the first time during key November and December months, with sales anticipated to increase between 3.7% and 4.2% versus a year ago.
At the same time, other industry watchers said many households are anxious ahead of the holidays. According to a recent reading, consumers are less optimistic about the economy, their finances, job stability and the rising cost of necessities.
Because of that mindset, “consumers plan to be more selective in their buying behavior this holiday shopping season,” Marshal Cohen, chief retail advisor for market research firm Circana, said in a note.
According to Circana, nearly two-thirds (63%) of consumers said the cost of food and groceries this year will impact their holiday shopping behavior, whether they buy fewer gifts, spend less on the gifts they purchase, or opt for more “off brand” items.
“Purchase prioritization will be front and center for consumers this holiday shopping season,” said Cohen. “Holiday shoppers will be making more thoughtful and deliberate choices based on their budget and the value they get from the purchase, leaving less room for impulse spending that is critical to holiday season growth.”