Black Friday shopping packs Chicago area malls
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Around 166 million people nationwide are expected to shop the holiday deals through Monday. In Illinois, Black Friday shoppers turned up in droves at several Chicago area malls.
It was so busy at the Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora that police closed entrances to the mall around 1 p.m., eventually letting in cars when parking spots opened up.
Stores in Chicago were full of Black Friday shoppers, too.
You can tell the deals are desirable this season, with so many shoppers showing up to get as much checked off their holiday list as possible.
Thanksgiving gave thanks, Black Friday is giving discounts, with crowds of people lining up for them.
"Traffic just keeps getting busier and busier as the hours go on," said Heather Lloyd, director of marketing and business development at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg.
Prices on everything seemed to go up this year due to inflation. The U.S. Bureau of Consumer Protection estimated consumer prices are up 7.7% so far this year.
At Woodfield Mall, though, prices were discounted as much as 50%.
"Discounts are discounts," shopper Steven Meyers said.
Meyers and his girlfriend, Kayla Krouse, came for the deals, a because – for them – it's tradition.
"We're just out here to have a fun time while getting some good deals on some items we need," Meyers said.
The swamped mall was proof they're not alone, especially as prices overall are higher than they remember last year.
"It's a little bit higher, which it happens, but definitely still looking for any deals we can get," Meyers said.
Looking for clothes, some gifts, but the list stops there.
"Every time we pass the Zales or the Kay, I get a nice look, but maybe not today. That's not a discount we're looking for this time," Meyers said.
Others were looking for a gift less "this season," and more last last season.
At Lost Girls Vintage, a small business selling vintage goods in Logan Square and West Town, they're hoping Small Business Saturday brings in bigger crowds looking for the pieces the staff spends so much time curating.
"I feel like just closer with our customer and the relationship means more to us I think," Jakely Mange said. "We go [size] 00 to 28. Especially with vintage, that's very rare,"
They're offering a discount of their own; 30% this weekend, the first Black Friday in a few years that feels like pre-pandemic normal.
"It's been really nice for us this year compared to the last two years. I think we're getting a lot more clientele," Mange said.
The Fashion Outlets of Chicago mall in Rosemont was packed all day, with shoppers saying the deals inside made the long lines worth the wait.
"We do know our parking garage has filled at least three times," said Fashion Outlets senior marketing manager Katie Walsh.
That's 2,800 parking spots.
Lines wrapped around some of the stores, with people waiting up to half an hour to get their foot in the door.
"For some of the shops, it's just like 10 to 15 minutes; and for others, it took so long," shopper Jui Warwade said.
The doorbuster deals were something shoppers like Lori Santoro didn't want to miss out on.
"A handbag for me for my birthday, and a Christmas gift for my daughter-in-law," Santoro said.
With so many people now shopping online, big discounts are one of the ways these brick-and-mortar stores hope to attract in-person customers.
Still, for others like Vivek Kulanthaivelpandian, inflation has driven up the prices. He came out not so much for the deals, but more so for the tradition.
"We used to get a lot of deals, and I could really see the deals, but I don't know; after COVID I don't see that anymore," he said. "Everything is really expensive."