GREENWOOD — Sticking to tradition — dozens of shoppers were at the Greenwood Park Mall to snag some deals on Black Friday.
One of them is Dakota Dirig and his girlfriend Kari Zelaya, who got to the mall at 3 a.m. with a goal in mind: try to get their hands on an Xbox Series X from GameStop.
“For the one I’m going for, it’s $550. With Black Friday it’s now $450," Dirig said.
That $100 in savings will go a long way for the couple on a budget.
That’s why they’re braving the crowds and cold Friday morning.
“We’ve been up since Thursday morning," Zelaya said.
The discounts aren’t the only things bringing shoppers to the mall.
Jasmine Sylvester grew up going Black Friday shopping every year with her family — something she wants to continue even now that she’s older.
“It’s definitely a tradition thing. And also, Christmas shopping. My grandma had 12 kids and each one had give so I have 60 cousins. We like to get the best deals we can get," Sylvester said.
While Jasmine is a veteran shopper, her friends Jeffrey and Trizza are Black Friday newbies.
The trio traveled an hour and a half from out of town just to come to Greenwood Park Mall.
On their agenda: Christmas gifts for their family and friends, updates to their wardrobe and some maybe new jewelry.
“Windsor. I love Windsor," said one.
“I’m realizing that I need an outfit change," said another.
And as shoppers scour the mall in search of the best deals on their favorite brands, Marketing Director Tiffani Adkins says security is a top priority.
“We wanna keep our retailers, employees and our shoppers safe. We have measures in place, both seen and unseen, here at the property. A few of those include a weapons detecting K-9, off-duty police officers from Greenwood PD, a highly trained security staff, camera towers in parking lots, license plate readers," Adkins said.
And the holiday fun doesn’t just end on Black Friday.
If you’re feeling so goodwill in your heart and you’d like to donate a new, unwrapped toy to the WRTV Toy Drive, you can on Saturday, Dec., 9.
