HOWARD, Wis. (NBC 26) — Item by item, gift by gift, Northeast Wisconsinites are buying their way into the holidays.
"Guest traffic has been really good today," Howard Menards General Manager Kris Wilber said. "We had a line outside the door this morning. People were excited to come in. Everyone was in a great mood."
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The day after Thanksgiving, customers lined the aisles of local stores. In 2020, BlackFriday.com reportsmore Americans purchased goods online. But this year, Wilber says he's seeing pre-pandemic traffic.
"Probably the past even month, it's just been crazy how much people are getting into the holiday spirit and decorating their house," he said.
And retailers are changing the way they sell on Black Friday. Just a few years ago, customers could shop after they finished their Thanksgiving meals. Now, many of the country's largest stores close their doors for the holiday.
"This year, it's definitely more upbeat, more positive," Wilber said. "And we had a really good turnout this morning."
Companies like Menards now release Black Friday deals for more than a week. Still, Wilber has an urgent message for shoppers: "don't wait."
It's a piece of advice Dory Grignon took before driving from Keshena to buy gifts for six grandsons.
"It can be a little nerve-wracking at times," she said. "But I think it helps me to get into the Christmas spirit a little more."
Over 186 million people shoppedon Thanksgiving weekend in 2020. So Grignon says she was excited to beat the crowd.
"Because we came out on Black Friday, we were able to extend the number of items that we normally get," she said.
