Thousands of people filled Eastview Mall on Friday, all looking for something special for the holiday season.

Some shoppers were back in person for the first time since the pandemic.

"We could not hardly find a parking space," said Cindy France, a Black Friday shopper.

Other shoppers say they were surprised to see the crowds as they do their holiday shopping.

"I know the last few years it has been pretty low, but this year when we pulled in about 9:40 a.m. the parking lot was very full and I was shocked that this many people were out," said Jen Lagana, another Black Friday shopper.

According to the National Retail Foundation, last year's sales during the holiday season grew 13.5% over 2020, averaging about $889 billion in sales.

This year, the NRF is expecting sales to grow even more, even amid the rising inflation costs.

"Just seeing if you can find a really good deal, something you can brag about," said Nicole Reynolds, another Black Friday shopper.

Across the country, sales between now and December are expected to be anywhere between $943 billion to $960 billion, an increase of 6% to 8% from last year.

After three years of the pandemic, shoppers say it feels good to have things start to feel normal again.

"I think more people are out there taking a risk," said Lagana. "Some people still have masks, but if you look around, there's really few people around with masks on. So, I think people are just more comfortable and want to be out into that atmosphere of feeling normal."

While some shoppers are out finding deals, there are still plenty of deals online as well.