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        Thousands of New Jersey residents flock to malls for Black Friday deals

        News 12 spoke to some people who spent hours in the mall. Some said it was way too hectic, while others took their time browsing.

        Sarah Goode

        Nov 29, 2024, 1:40 PM

        Updated 5 days ago

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        Thousands of New Jersey residents took advantage of Black Friday deals.
        It was busy all day at Menlo Park Mall. Since the doors opened Friday morning, the stores were ready and shoppers streamed in to find those deals and discounts.
        “The expectation was it’s going to be very busy, traffic was very high today," said Prim Prasapairin, director of Marketing and Business Development at Menlo Park Mall.
        Even before stepping foot in the mall, it was busy. Cars wrapped around the building.
        “Pretty bad, about 15 minutes to find a parking spot,” said one shopper.
        "Getting in here, the parking was absolutely insane. Almost took us 30 minutes to park, but that's expected," said another shopper.
        The crowds continued inside and throughout the day, the action didn’t stop.
        “Extremely busy. All the shoppers are standing in line, getting deals,” said Prasapairin.
        “I'm just shopping trying to find gifts, trying to get an early start," said one shopper.
        And while the doors at the mall opened at 6 a.m., the preparation began before.
        “[Every retailer], they prepared last night, late into the evening,” said Prasapairin.
        Some retailers are continuing holiday deals into the weekend, before moving online for Cyber Monday. People will continue their shopping for certain items on the internet.
        “We find consumer is doing both, they are complimentary," said Prasapairin.
        While there might’ve been some chaos in person, people told News 12 that it was what they expected.
        “I know around the holiday time it’s always going to be hustle and bustle, with holiday shopping, gift shopping," said one shopper.
        People told News 12 that they were going to stay in the mall for hours. The parking lot remained full throughout the evening.
        News 12 New Jersey's Tony Caputo was at the mall to see what kind of deals shoppers were able to score.