Black Friday shopping just got a little more fun

PEORIA (25News Now) - Although Black Friday may not be as chaotic and busy as past years, there still is plenty to look forward to when visiting Northwoods Mall in Peoria.

The mall was busy Friday as shoppers looked for the hottest deals.

”It’s actually been really good. I was excited to offer brick and mortar. I love that people are leaning toward in-person shopping again. It’s not the Black Friday that I remember to be when I was a teenager but I think it’s still pretty impressive,” said Asia Henderson owner of Maneki Jewelry.

Shopper Ashley Williams and her daughter had quite a few chain stores in mind that are the go-to places whenever they visit the mall. They had their sights set on Victoria’s Secret and Claire’s, for example.

“I’ve got two girls, so they love all of that stuff,” she said.

Outside of hitting those staple retailers, some shoppers were pursuing special occasion dresses. Dereka Egan found an unforgettable deal on dresses.

“At Torrid, everything is like 50 percent off. I was personally shopping for a prom and homecoming dress, and it was like 40 percent off of my $500 dress and we got it for like $328. I was really surprised,” she said.

However, her older sister Delaney enjoys the mall ambience the most.

“Just the atmosphere has been great too. The people have been really nice. Then they’ve got a dance team down at the bottom floor. I’ve really had fun watching that while my parents go and do their own thing,” Delaney said.

She enjoyed watching performances by Coach Bre Cottage Cheerleading and Dance Company.

The team consists of girls ages two to 13 that are interested in both activities.

Starting in 2021, Coach Bre, also known as Breiana Wells, was inspired to create it during COVID because she didn’t like young girls missing out on recreational activities.

Now partnering with Northwoods Mall, the Coach Bre Cottage Cheer and Dance Company performs throughout the holiday season.