Mall of America expecting thousands of shoppers on Black Friday
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Mall of America is expecting thousands of people to take advantage of holiday deals on Black Friday.
The Rands family was the first in line - arriving at the front doors at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
"It was warmer, we did Thanksgiving lunch, and we decided let's let them go and experience it, and they've hung out and they've stuck it out," their mother said.
The mall is also offering incentives to encourage in-person shopping; the first 200 people in line get a gift card valued at up to $500, and the first 4,000 people in line get a scratch-off ticket.
"It's more than just the deals -- this is a tradition," said Jill Renslow, Executive Vice President of Business Development at the Mall of America. There are families that line up year after year, she said.
In addition to the shopping, visitors will also see the mall decorated in the holiday spirit, and there will also be live entertainment. Santa will also be visiting with families.
The National Retail Federation estimates a record 166.3 million people will go shopping this weekend.
