Shoppers saying the hustle and bustle of Black Friday isn’t the same

(WBRE/WYOU)— The busiest shopping day of the year has come to a close, and although many took advantage of the sales, the usual hustle and bustle has slowed down.

The biggest shopping day of the year came and went. Hundreds made their way to Wilkes-Barre Township Commons on Black Friday to shop their deals and steals.

“There’s a lot of options but here you can hit everything. You could hit the department stores, you can hit the specialty stores, Mohegan Sun for a little fun, so that’s why we’re here,” said Brittany Lopo, from Hazleton.

Although many hit the discount jackpot, they couldn’t help but notice how the “Holiday” revolved around bargain shopping and didn’t attract as many people as it once did.

“It’s kind of a little sad honestly. You know, Black Friday in the past has been pretty big. A lot of people everywhere, but it’s not as big as it used to be anymore I guess,” added Trevor Miller, from Mountain Top.

Some say having the world at the touch of a finger is what’s keeping people home and out of the lines.

“I attribute that to the online where they release deals early in the week, so it’s taking a lot of the foot traffic to dot com traffic,” Lopo told 28/22 News.

“I think online shopping’s really taken over and there’s just really no point in coming out anymore,” Miller said.

Others say inflation is the driving factor.

“Even getting over here, gas is like 30 dollars, 40 dollars, 50 dollars. Try to stay in one local area so we’re not driving too much to gas,” said Marvel Boynton, from Scranton.

Whatever the reason for the ritual change, those who still shop till they drop on Black Friday welcome the smaller crowds.

“It’s nice for us who want to come out here and we don’t have to deal with all the hustle and bustle so, I’ll take it,” Lopo explained.

Whether you filled your cart in person or online this year, there were good deals everywhere as many began their holiday shopping.