DENVER — Despite dwindling Black Friday hype, shoppers packed the Outlets at Castle Rock to kick off the holiday shopping season.
"We came out here to get Christmas gifts and find clothes that are cheap," said Kimberly Paschke and Maisie Paulson.
The Outlets at Castle Rock were stuffed on Black Friday, with stores seeing lines out the door. Shoppers told Denver7 it took them awhile to even find parking.
Despite the crowds, experts say the Black Friday hype has been dwindling over the past few years.
"I think consumers are finally getting savvy to the fact that Black Friday is really just sort of a marketing thing, and you can get the deals afterward. You can get the deals before," said Darrin Duber-Smith, senior lecturer at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Duber-Smith said the popularity of online shopping has also changed Black Friday's cultural meaning.
"I think it's been dissipating over the last couple of years. The deals are now stretched out over weeks and weeks and weeks. And so, what are we really talking about at this point? It's just an idea. It just means that it's the buying season," he said.
Despite the changes, shoppers told Denver7 on Friday that it's more about the tradition than the deals.
"It is nice to go to the mall. It is fun. We get to see the lights and everyone walking around," said Lynn Hunkins.
"Yes, people are lining up. People will be there on Saturday, people will be there on Sunday. But it's not the way it used to be. I mean, it really isn't," said Duber-Smith.
Though there may not be as many in-person shoppers compared to years past, Duber-Smith said this is still a critical time for retailers. He said shops typically see about 30 percent of their profits for the year during this time.
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