AUSTIN, Texas — Thousands of shoppers put on their sneakers, ready to hit the stores in search of the best deals.
Many people stayed home last year, and they were ready to swipe their cards this time around.
"Definitely busier than last year," said Monica Esparza, director of marketing at The Domain. "Last year, people were still a little hesitant to be out and about because of COVID. Now that has settled a little, we're seeing a lot more shoppers this year."
At The Domain, it was busier this year compared to 2020, but Texas A&M Director of Retail Venky Shankar said this Black Friday has some downsides.
"They say the depth of deals and the amount of deals are also lower than the previous years," said Shankar. "Shoppers are anticipating to have a higher budget for maybe fewer items."
There are a couple of reasons why.
"Supply chain shortages, labor shortages and also the fact that shoppers are more cautious given the inflation and the uncertainty that's lying ahead," he added.
Because of this, some items might have been out of stock.
"Returns are likely to be very high because, as you know, because of supply chain shortages, people might end up buying items that were not their first item of choice," said Shankar.
That didn't stopping shoppers from heading out, but Adobe Analytics' holiday shopping report found online Black Friday sales took a slight hit compared to last year.
Adobe Analytics showed supply chain issues didn't only cause people to shop weeks ahead of Black Friday, but it also made Black Friday less appealing for some as the cost of goods are up.
"I usually am a Black Friday shopper. However, I didn't feel that the sales were as good as in previous years," said shopper Jennifer Ochoa.
Adobe analyzed early holiday price data compared to last year and found most discounts are not as good. Discounts on sporting goods, tools, home improvements items and most electronics are all worse than last year.
While prices for televisions and furniture are about equal to 2020, there are still a few good deals out there. Adobe found better discounts on toys and computers this year compared to last.
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