Crowds of people are in line outside some of the Bay Area’s shopping malls and outlets this Black Friday. Some shoppers say the long wait is not worth the time, while others think a good deal cannot be beat. Cierra Johnson and Bob Redell report.
Crowds of people lined up outside stores and malls across the Bay Area hoping to find the best Black Friday deals.
Despite the recent retail burglaries, some Bay Area residents decided to brace the lines and long wait while others chose to let the discounted deals go and return back home.
Shoppers in San Jose told NBC Bay Area they did consider the recent burglaries across the region before heading to the mall, but said it felt nice to shop outdoors after a year staying at home due to the pandemic.
"We were going to do it online but since we've been home all year its just nice to get back outside and you know, see what everything has," Kevin from Hayward said.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
In San Jose, a men's clothing store was burglarized hours before opening Friday, but police said they don't think this specific break in is connected to the recent organized retail thefts.
Mall security said there will be increased security to monitor and prevent burglaries from happening.
Local leaders like San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said he wants to install more license plate trackers to help locate vehicles used as getaway cars during these crimes.
