Shoppers search for deals
Mall sees normal Black Friday
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NILES -- Hundreds of shoppers braved the early morning cold and waited in line to snag deals at the Eastwood Mall, embracing the return of what many are calling a "normal" Black Friday.
Isaiah Brazofsky of Girard said it was nice to see a long line again and it reminded him of previous Black Fridays.
"It's definitely a lot busier than last year. It feels a lot more normal, and it's nice not wearing masks and to actually see each other's faces," he said. "There was a really long line to get in this morning, which was nice to see in a way."
Last year, the mall was open for Black Friday, but crowds were more sparse because of the pandemic. Store capacities and hours were limited and some shoppers opted to stay home, but many retailers have lifted restrictions based on updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after the vaccine rollout.
Brazofsky shopped with his friends, sisters Hannah and Emily Barone, both of Canfield, and wore matching Santa hats and Christmas sweaters to kick off the official start of the holiday season.
"Once you see Santa at the end of the Thanksgiving Day parade, it's officially Christmas," Emily said.
Hannah and Emily had never shopped during Black Friday before, but they said it was less chaotic than they imagined.
"It's not as bad as I thought it was going to be like what I hear on the news," Hannah said.
Shopper Jordan Letcher of Cortland said this year did not feel as busy or packed as previous years. She stood in line at Bath and Body Works in the mall with friend Julie Sloan of Bristol Township, who agreed this year did not feel quite the same as before.
"A lot of stores opened at 6 a.m., but some places didn't open until later, so that was a little weird," Sloan said.
The Eastwood Mall opened at 6 a.m. Friday and was closed all day Thanksgiving for the second year in a row. Many stores decided to close this year on Thanksgiving, including usual after dinner staples like Target, Walmart and Best Buy. Previously, the mall opened at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, but Cafaro Company spokesman Joe Bell said he thinks that might be a thing of the past.
"Thanksgiving hours started seven or eight years ago, but I think we're moving away from them," Bell said. "It tends to put a damper on the enthusiasm, and it never meets the expectation."
Bell said Friday's turnout exceeded expectations. Echoing Brazofsky, Bell said this year felt like a return to normalcy for the mall. The mall gave gift bags filled with coupons and other items to the first 500 shoppers through the door and they were gone in 20 minutes.
"It went very well, we had a strong start in the morning and a steady crowd throughout the day," Bell said. "It feels like a return to Black Friday prepandemic."