MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - The biggest day for deals and steals, Black Friday, has come and gone.
One Walmart in Miami Gardens already had its parking lot full before 7 a.m., Friday.
Many people were waiting to go inside as soon as the doors open.
“I got up very early just to be here,” said Claudette Vassel, who was buying a TV at BrandsMart in Miami Gardens. “Last year, because of the pandemic, I could not be here, but thank God, this year I’m alive, so I’m very grateful.”
Some shoppers were in line as early as 4 a.m.
“Because I wanna get my PS5 from here,” said one young boy.
“They said that there were sales here today, so let’s see. We’ll find out,” said shopper JC Cruz.
“It came out like $2,000. It’s a good deal,” said Roberto Ferrera.
Ferrera said he has a lot to be thankful for. He and his wife, along with their three children, all contracted COVID.
“Thankful that we survived COVID,” he said. “We were with COVID the past eight months, I think.”
Sawgrass Mills and Dadeland Mall opened at 6 a.m. and will close at 9 p.m. Aventura Mall opened at 8 a.m. and will close at 10 p.m. Dolphin Mall opens at 9 a.m. and will close at midnight.
Retailers were quickly restocking shelves.
“We got a ramp that, actually, we can bring merchandise from the warehouse to the floor,” said BrandsMart USA spokesperson Angus Bryan.
“They’re good, actually,” one shopper said. “They’re really good.”
Arisa Spivey, the owner of I Dolls Boutique, had to close for several months during the pandemic, and now she’s ready for business offering discounts.
“If you need a look for the weekend for the holiday, this is definitely the spot,” she said.
President Joe Biden showed his support for small businesses, tweeting in part, “Small businesses are not only the engines of our economic progress. They are the heart and soul of our communities.”
“For the holiday season, we just want to finish strong,” said Spivey.
Some shoppers are waiting for Cyber Monday to take advantage of deals.
Whichever way one likes to shop, everyone is looking to save a little.
“We got a lot of stuff,” said a shopper.
The National Retail Federation predicts there will be close to two million more people shopping compared to last year between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday.
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