Black Friday Sales In Florida Get Boost From Weather

MIAMI, FL — Black Friday sales got off to an early start this year as shoppers across Florida took advantage of some of the best weather in the country to head to stores like Brandsmart USA, Best Buy, Target and Bed Bath & Beyond for once-a-year savings on electronics, clothing and home goods.

The action began Thanksgiving afternoon as thankful shoppers pushed aside that second helping of turkey in favor of a new flat screen TV and other holiday pickings.

Patch visited a Brandsmart store near Miami where hundreds of shoppers lined up ahead of the store's Thursday afternoon opening.

To enhance the holiday shopping experience, the Ellenton Premium Outlets in Manatee County even planned to offer refreshments to shoppers on Black Friday.

But the growing importance of online sales and the continued expansion of Black Friday multiple days before and after Thanksgiving has taken some of the luster away for shoppers like Jill Leiva, a mother of two who enjoys the Black Friday tradition and does her homework.

"It's all changed," she shared on Thanksgiving Day. "All the ads are available beforehand. People went shopping yesterday. It's just not right."

One recent survey by website Reviews.org found:

• 18 percent of respondents said they've taken an item from someone else's cart on Black Friday.
• 23 percent said they would bail on Thanksgiving dinner for Black Friday shopping.
• 70 percent of respondents would shop at three or more stores to find the best deals.
• Only one person who was surveyed said they weren’t going to shop on Black Friday.

This year, Leiva said, she was looking for a new TV for her kids, toys, clothing and whatever else may be on sale. She planned to do more of her shopping online this year than in the past.

"The old days were more fun," she conceded.