Black Friday shoppers in NJ, Pa brave pandemic for holiday deals
PHILADELPHIA - Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, shoppers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey were out early to score Black Friday deals in preparation for Christmastime.
The hot item this year is the newly-released and uber-expensive Playstation 5. Shoppers looking to avoid the crowds and shop online will be disappointed to find that most online retailers are sold out of the fifth iteration of the popular game console.
FOX 29's Steve Keeley was outside GameStop in Cherry Hill where some camped out overnight in hopes of getting their hands on the $500 game system. The lines were manageable during the early morning hours, but soon grew down the strip mall past the doors of the Planet Fitness.
A GameStop manager told FOX 29 that the store had less than 10 Playstation consoles. Just before the first 10 customers were allowed inside at 7 a.m. the store posted a sign saying they had 2 systems left.
A father and son from Northeast Philadelphia were among the lucky few to secure a Playstation 5 on Friday morning. Jason and Anthony Yates slept outside the Cherry Hill GameStop for two days after Jason heard the store had two systems in stock.
The Yates, who ate their Thanksgiving meal outside the store, were being offered upwards of $1,000 for the Playstation 5 after walking out of the GameStop.
MORE: Father and son spend 2 nights outside Cherry Hill GameStop for Playstation 5
Meanwhile, at the King of Prussia Mall in Montgomery County, FOX 29's Alex George observed more measured crowds at the Walmart. The store opened at 5 a.m. and welcomed a steady flow of foot traffic throughout the morning.
Some stores like Dick's Sporting Goods have purposefully made their Black Friday deals last throughout the next several days in order to alleviate crowding during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the CDC, shopping in a crowded store puts individuals at a higher risk for contracting the coronavirus. Dr. Mike Cirigliano said crowding at stores after Thanksgiving get-togethers is an added layer of concern.
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