JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Retailers are predicting record shopping this holiday season and the bulk of that spending is expected on Black Friday.
The National Retail Federation is expecting 131.7 million Americans to take advantage of Black Friday deals.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
Roughly two out of three Black Friday shoppers, like Jacob Shecter, plan to do their holiday shopping the old-fashioned way by heading out to the storefronts early in the morning.
“I like being outside, seeing people. The malls are fun. They’re always packed, and there’s great deals going on,” said Shecter.
Others, like Shenika Green, told Action News Jax they’ve seen enough Black Friday antics for one lifetime.
“After hearing all the horror stories, I just kind of like picked up a little something and just kind of left it alone,” said Green.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Overall, holiday spending is expected to jump as much as 3.5% this year to $989 billion, according to the NRF.
“We are back up to pre-pandemic levels of spending. So, there is a lot of excitement about the holidays, and we are ready to get started.,” said Amanda Bevis, spokesperson for the Florida Retail Federation.
Bevis and FRF are encouraging Floridians to shop local when possible, as holiday shopping makes up roughly one-fifth of Florida retailers’ annual revenue.
“We head into the holiday season ready to support consumers, all stocked up and staffed up so that everybody can find what they need and check out efficiently. We are just hopeful that consumers get out and support Florida retail stores,” said Bevis.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
As for the top gifts this year, some things never change.
Bevis said Barbies and dolls are at the top of girls’ lists, while boys are asking for video games and Hot Wheels.
There is some crossover though, with both boys and girls asking for Legos.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Sign Up
