CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — It’s Black Friday and the National Retail Federation expects it to be a record-breaking year for shopping this weekend.
The doors at JCPenney open at 5 a.m. with customers lining up to get doorbuster deals. It’s one of the earliest opening times for a department store for Black Friday.
JCPenney’s clothes, jewelry, shoes and home items are marked way down, while Bath and Body Works stores are giving customers an extra 20% off and a buy three get three free deal.
The National Retail Federation estimates more than 166 million people are going to shop through Cyber Monday.
The federation reports 60% of holiday shoppers started looking and buying early this month.
Walmart stores have a lot of rollbacks and started planning for the rush of customers a while back, according to spokesperson Jessica Martello.
“This year, to prepare for the holidays, Walmart has hired about 40,000 associates to help out with just the influx of all the shopping and that includes in-store associates, distribution centers, fleet drivers and more. So, we’re definitely prepared for a busy holiday season,” she told 8News.
Gift cards are still a favorite item this year. Experts say spending on them is expected to reach more than $28 billion.
JCPenney closes at 10 p.m. at Chesterfield Towne Center.
