PALMDALE – Although some retail experts say Cyber Monday now marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season for many younger people, Black Friday still saw plenty of old fashioned long lines outside brick and mortar businesses on Friday, with a report of at least one brawl breaking out at a store in Palmdale.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said two groups of customers at the Palmdale Walmart — each numbering over a dozen — were reported by staff to have brawled both inside the store and then in the parking lot at around 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 22.
One of the people in the fight was said to have had a gun, but no arrests were made, according to Lt. Anthony Gunn.
The intense Black Friday shopping action at brick and mortar stores comes even though online sales continue to climb.
Perhaps due to the roaring U.S. economy, online shopping nationally has jumped 15.2 percent in the first nine months of the year, compared with last year, said Raymond Sfeir, director of Chapman University’s A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research.
“That is a huge increase,” Sfeir said.
It indicates that the annual Cyber Monday online retail event will mark the beginning of the holiday shopping season for many younger discount hawks, Sfeir said.
“I expect ecommerce to grab an even larger portion of retail this year,” Sfeir said. “It’s sad to see so many stores closing in different malls and shopping centers, including a lot of clothing stores, but for young people that’s where they shop these days. They like to take out the cellphone and click a few times and get something in the mail.”
It’s more convenient in some ways, but without trying clothes on in a store it leads to a lot of returns, Sfeir said.
“They’ll order five things and keep one and ship back the rest,” Sfeir said. “For the new generation that’s what they’re used to. They’re not used to touching things and kicking the tires so to speak in the stores.”
Monday sales are “increasing at a faster rate than the sales on Friday and the (Thanksgiving) weekend in general,” Sfeir said.
He predicts a strong shopping season at brick-and-mortar stores, though, based on positive economic indicators.
“We have very good employment data, and that is very important — the unemployment rate is extremely low,” Sfeir said.
The stock market has been retreating, but Sfeir does not think that will affect shopping this weekend.
“I think it will be fine,” he said. “Profits are still strong, the economy is doing well and GDP is expected to grow next year. A little less than this year, though.”
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RUFFUS SANDERS says
November 25, 2018 at 4:22 pmTHE WALMART RIOT CAUSED BY TRUMP PENCE SUPPORTERS SO SICKENING NOTHING BUT PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN TRAILER PARKS WEARING MAGA HATS YOU CAN GO TO YOUTUBE AND SEE THE VIDEO
Tom says
November 25, 2018 at 10:30 pmFights in Wal-Mart have taken place well before Trump, Obama, and Bush. The fights were the whole reason I use to go out on Black friday. Watch a free fight between women over a cheap tv. Then Wal-Mart started passing out vouchers and making people stand in areas hours on end, and all the good fights ended and so did my Black Friday tradition. So I guess the president you need to blame is Clinton, and Sam Walton.
Palmfail says
November 24, 2018 at 3:11 pm“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said two groups of customers at the Palmdale Walmart — each numbering over a dozen — were reported by staff to have brawled both inside the store and then in the parking lot”
Getting into the holiday spirit…
Laguna Living says
November 24, 2018 at 4:23 pmThis is how Wrecks gets into the holiday spirit-
— A homeless encampment on 20th Street West north of Avenue H was red-tagged on Nov. 20, two days before Thanksgiving.
The residents have until Dec. 11 to move themselves and their belongings. Any property not moved by that date will be considered abandoned and discarded. Any people who have not moved from the area by that date may be arrested or cited.
There are about 37 individual tents or trailers housing up to 50 people and stretching up to Avenue G. The population includes senior citizens, the mentally ill, and the disabled. Many of those who live there say they were forced to move there after a crackdown by city officials who didn’t want them near the revitalized downtown.
Alexis says
November 25, 2018 at 4:24 pmWhat a mean thing to do.
Alexis says
November 25, 2018 at 2:15 pmYup, another full on brawl at Walmart. The god of materialism takes over with these folks, and Walmart seems the place to get physical.
Alexis says
November 25, 2018 at 3:20 pmNothing says holidays like taking the family to Walmart to participate in a full on brawl.
Fwrecks says
November 25, 2018 at 4:00 pmNothing says holidays like having Wrecks hurt the homeless more than he normally does. Screw him and his Beach House.