Local

Shoppers look for the best Black Friday bargains

Thousands of local shoppers are looking for the best bargains.

They were out in force Friday morning at Concord Mills and other area malls and shopping centers.

The general manager at Concord Mills told Channel 9 that he thinks there has been a better turn out this year than last year.

"I took video of it," shopper Latonia Manns said. "There was literally people running through the whole entire mall, like hundreds. It was like, oh my gosh, when it opened up, it was like a stampede."

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers provided more security at stores, and officials expect more officers throughout the day on ground and in the sky.

At noon, officials said the parking lots were completely percent full at the Charlotte Premium Outlets, 85 percent full at Concord Mills and 80 percent full at SouthPark.

At Northlake Mall, police are using sky towers to keep an eye on the crowds.

They are also teaming up some of their veteran officers with new recruits from the academy.

Northlake and SouthPark malls opened up again at 6 a.m. Friday, while the premium outlets and
Concord Mills opened earlier.

Experts predict nearly 164 million people will take advantage of the Black Friday shopping discounts, and the average shopper will likely spend an average $967 on gifts.

Officials said online shopping had an affect on in-store shopping last year, but this year, some stores are offering exclusive in-store deals to boost foot traffic.