Black Friday frenzy: Shoppers brave the chaos for holiday deals

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Millions of Americans are hitting the stores for black Friday shopping and our area is no exception.

People packed onto the roads, in the parking lots, and waited in lines. All of them trying to find the best deals.

“Today we're shopping for Vera Bradley bags. A couple of socks for the Nike store, the line is out the door," said shopper Jesse Morgan.

“I came with no list. No agenda. Just see what kind of sales are out here today. And if something strikes me, I'll go for it," said shopper Cathy Appler.

This year, stores are offering steep discounts trying to get Black Friday shoppers in their doors and spending money.

“There were some 40% off deals. Yeah, so there were some good ones. Yeah," said Morgan.

“30% off and then she had a birthday coupon for another 15% off. It's crazy here though," said shopper Chris Gordon.

See also: Black Friday shoppers urged to shop local ahead of Small Business Saturday

The National Retail Federation is estimating 130.7 million people are out shopping on Black Friday, which is up 69 percent from 2022.

“I'm just looking for myself today to take home things to take home immediately. Instant gratification," said Gordon.

The National Retail Federation predicts Americans will spend close to a trillion dollars during the holidays A 3 to 4 percent increase from last year, but that increase is mostly due to inflation driving up prices.

Several shoppers, CBS12 News spoke with say even though they’re out today most of their shopping will be online.

“I already started online this morning. But I figured I'll take a chance with the crowds today and try some live shopping as well. But yeah, probably most will be online this year," said Appler.

“That's where the big heavy lifting is gonna happen online," said Morgan.

If you’re interested in catching some of those deals this weekend there’s still time, especially if you’re looking to shop online.