Shopping malls have drastically declined in popularity across the country in recent years, but you wouldn't know it by looking at The Mall at Johnson City's foot traffic — especially on Black Friday. People from across the Tri-Cities came in droves to the mall on Friday, as evidenced by the mere handful of parking spaces available. Shopper Luis Calderón said parking at the mall on Black Friday is more or less a competitive sport full of blind luck and little skill.
“Whoever happens to be at the right place at the right time gets the spot,” he said. Inside the mall, shoppers took advantage of a number of Black Friday deals. Ulta Beauty was packed with up to 50 percent off on items throughout the store.
Tradehome Shoes had a deal of buy one pair, get one half off. Zales and Kay Jewelers had steep discounts. Some people were not pleased by the deals at certain stores.
“Journeys told me, ‘All the Converse is on sale and that's it,’ and the discounts were pretty tame if I'm being honest with you,” 18-year-old Christian Douglas said. “I didn't even bother looking that long.” Elsewhere, Matt Blevins left FYE disappointed.
He felt the store had hardly any physical media to browse. “Black Friday is the time when people are going to buy that stuff the most,” he said. At Belk, it was a good deal on boots that drew in Cassidy McReynolds.
“These are usually somewhere around $50 and they start at $19.99 for Black Friday,” she said holding up a pair. “This is w.
