CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas \u2014 Corpus Christi shoppers hit the stores early Friday morning, but the scene was far from the chaotic stampede many expect on Black Friday.<\/p>\n
Black Friday in Corpus Christi: A deal-hunter\u2019s day out<\/p>\n
The day started before sunrise with alarms blaring, cars loading up and shoppers heading to their first stop: Academy Sports + Outdoors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got our workout in at 5:30 in the morning to come and do some shopping,\u201d said shopper Sarah McDonald. <\/p>\n
\u201cIs this your first stop?” <\/p>\n
“No, this is my second.”<\/p>\n
Others had been up just as early.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been up since like 6 or 5,\u201d said Melania Walker, also out hunting for deals.<\/p>\n
Academy offered 30\u201350% off clothing and about 25% off most shoes. Even with the deals, crowds were surprisingly manageable.<\/p>\n
By mid-morning, the store stayed calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Academy was a lot less crazy than Ulta,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n
After Academy, many shoppers made their way to La Palmera Mall \u2014 the city\u2019s Black Friday battleground. But instead of chaos, the mall was filled with steady crowds, bright sale signs and people moving quickly from store to store.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe saw some good deals,\u201d said shopper Izaiah Cintron, before adding, \u201cBut there\u2019s some that could have been better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parking wasn\u2019t too big of a headache, either, but was still no easy task.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s busier than usual, but we found a parking spot pretty quick,\u201d Cintron said.<\/p>\n
For shoppers using Black Friday to get ahead on holiday gifting, the traffic and lines were worth it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re shopping for Christmas presents for my mom,\u201d one shopper said while weaving through the crowds.<\/p>\n
And for many, the discounts were simply impossible to resist.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were too good to pass up. I definitely bought a lot more than I should\u2019ve,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n
Another shopper, McDonald, summed up the day:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe weren\u2019t expecting to spend too much money, but it\u2019ll be worth it in the end for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n