WILKES-BARRE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Shoppers went into Kohl's in Wilkes-Barre Township at 5 o'clock in the morning to shop for Black Friday.
"Honestly, I really don't need a lot of stuff from Kohl's. But there's certain things that family members wanted that Kohl's has the best sales. I actually opened all the ads, and I price matched, and they just have the best deals," said Andrea Kosierowski of Exeter.
Kosierowski couldn't tell Newswatch 16 what she was buying. People on her gift list are loyal Newswatch 16 viewers.
But she did say her mission here is part of a tradition she's not giving up anytime soon.
"Every year, Cody and I seriously, we start planning your plan of attack. September we start because we go on the Black Friday ads like leaks, at least are open, and the ads we see what we want, what we're going to get our family members. We plan out our map like where we're going each year and what time we have to be there. This is like, we have it down to a science," added Kosierowski.
Crowds waiting for the doors to open at other stores such as Best Buy were smaller.
Many shoppers are glad Black Friday crowds are not what they were a few years ago.
"I think COVID like changed it a lot. It's not like as crazy as past Black Fridays I've been to," said Jacob Dembowski of Luzerne.
"I'm not in the mood for that. No, I'm drinking a red bull. I didn't even have coffee. So no. Don't be taking those," said Cassandra Yost of Forty Fort.
On the other hand, dome people tell Newswatch 16 they kind of miss that "Black Friday chaos.
"It's the best and also the adrenaline. I love the adrenaline of pushing people out of the way for another time," explained Kosierowski.
Many of the shoppers there told us they opted for in-person shopping over online because they wanted to try on things like clothing, or they wanted to take things home immediately like Play Stations and start using them.