Black Friday shoppers flock to stores for bargain deals

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - For many it's an annual Thanksgiving Holiday tradition; waking up early on Friday morning to take advantage of sale prices at local retailers.

Black Friday shoppers bundled up and lined up outside the Best Buy in Santa Maria waiting for the doors to open at 5 a.m.

Some even camped out overnight at the store to be first in line.

"I decided to do it this year, I'm pretty desperate," said shopper Josue Garcia who was among those at the front of the line at Best Buy.

"Yeah, we just camped out," added Eduardo Badillo. "I'm trying to get the PS5 (Sony Playstation 5} and the Xbox Series X."

For others it was just having the experience of early morning shopping with a family member or friend.

"This is his first Black Friday", said Suzanne Christoferson who also waited in line at Best Buy. "So it's more of just an experience of coming out and being with other people."

Once the doors opened, the customers flooded in.

Popular items were the iPhone 13 Pro and the latest models in flat screen TVs with steep discounts.

Other items in strong demand like Playstations and Xboxes were hard to find due in part to ongoing supply chain issues.

The Santa Maria Walmart also opened its doors at 5 a.m. for Black Friday bargain hunters.

Shoppers said there were fewer people in the store for this Black Friday than in previous years.

"Honestly it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be," said shopper Juan Eguiluz. "I went to Black Friday like five years ago and it was really crowded then."

The Santa Maria Town Center Mall was another popular Black Friday destination.

Mall tenants offered sharp discounts on a wide variety of products and goods including clothing and jewelry for the holiday season.