Shoppers in Dallas said they found bargains for themselves and gifts to give in Black Friday

Due to fog, drizzle, rain and temperatures in the 40s, Black Friday started out slowly in Dallas. However, by about 10 a.m did parking garages start filling up and Black Friday shoppers were holding multiple bags at Galleria Dallas and NorthPark Center.

Shoppers in Dallas said they found bargains for themselves and gifts to give in Black Friday

Previously, local store employees were processing a large number of online orders placed on Thanksgiving Day to be picked up in stores. Black Friday shopping is a chance for people to take time to shop with friends and family over the long weekend.

Cindy Maguire of Coppell, who was shopping at the Galleria with her niece, Kendall Cruson of Keller, said “For us, it’s all about the fun of being out here,”. Cruson, 17, added that she wanted to put to bed the idea that millennials only want to shop online, that “I prefer stores,” and “We’re going to Ulta later. I have points to spend.”

Waiting for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales to purchasing things is a major part of the holiday shopping season. Half of people who were surveyed in Dallas-Fort Worth by Deloitte said they would be shopping for themselves.

The holiday shopping season is considered to be the most important time of the year for retailers, which are counting on consumers to continue the economic expansion as business consuming has slowed. According to the National Retail Federation, holiday sales in November and December are forecast to rise about 4% from last year to reach to $730 billion.

Meanwhile, online sales are still a smaller slice of the business, but they’re gaining rapidly as stores process a growing portion of that business. Online sales continue to be dominated by Amazon and Adobe Analytics forecast online sales in November and December will increase from 14.9% to $143.7 billion this year.