Shoppers flock to Citadel Outlets, other SoCal malls for Black Friday deals
CITY OF COMMERCE, Calif. (KABC) -- The countdown to unwrapping presents this holiday season is officially on.
Crowds flocked to shopping centers across Southern California to hunt for special gifts, hoping to get their hands on Black Friday deals.
The Citadel Outlets in the City of Commerce started its all-night shopping frenzy Thanksgiving night at 8 p.m. The mall plans to stay open through 11 p.m. Friday.
AIR7 was over the outlet mall where long lines formed outside of stores and cars wrapped around the block.
The Glendale Galleria is ready for the Black Friday rush, too.
"We're going to have customers who are ready to be here at 8 a.m., 9 a.m., the second the doors open, and traffic is going to continue to flow and it's all going to go great," said Alex Cover with the Glendale Galleria.
Shopping online is easier, but for some, visiting the stores on Black Friday is part of the Thanksgiving tradition.
"Shopping in person gives people an immediate satisfaction," Cover said.
The National Retail Federation says Americans are expected to spend more than $1 trillion on holiday shopping for the first time ever.
Clothing remains one of the top in-store purchases for holiday shoppers, according to the federation.
Over 130 million people are projected to shop in store or online for Black Friday.
