Shoppers take on Black Friday in Hamilton County

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — One of the busiest shopping days of the year is finally here and shoppers are out in full force Friday morning, hunting for those black Friday deals. 

The National Retail Federation says a record number of shoppers are expected to shop this weekend from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, with at least 183.4 million shopping online and in-store.

The figure is up from the previous record of 182 million in 2023, and 18.1 million people more than five years ago in 2019.  

At the Cabela’s in Noblesville, store managers tell News 8 shoppers started lining up at midnight Friday for the doors to open at 5 a.m.  

Nearly 300 people were in line before the doors opened at Cabela’s. At the JCPenney in the Hamilton Town Center, the store was also packed as soon as the doors opened.

One shopper told News 8 they’ve experienced Black Friday shopping across the county.

“Being a military family we travel a lot, so, we were able to do Black Friday shopping in Texas, Georgia, or other places,” they said. “Like here has been very welcoming where it hasn’t been a lot of crowds.”

The NRF says the top reasons consumers plan to shop during these five days are because the deals are too good to pass up, and holiday shopping over Thanksgiving weekend has become a tradition for many.

Another shopper told News 8 it was their kid’s first time Black Friday shopping. “It is fun, it was fun for them to have their first experience, and at the same time he wanted more than shoes, he wanted the clothes, too.”

Holiday spending is expected to reach record levels during November and December and will grow between 2.5% and 3.5%, totaling $979.5 billion to $989 billion.