We went to Walmart stores in New York and California on Black Friday.
Black Friday mornings are usually calmer and emptier.
Some customers came for specific deals, while others just walked through the stores.
The sun didn't rise in Los Angeles until 6:30 a.m., but around 55 people were in line to enter Walmart by 6 ahead of the store's 7 a.m. opening. The scene was calm, unlike Black Fridays of the past.
Everyone stood quietly, a few feet apart. It was only 50 degrees out, which is cold in Los Angeles.
Two employees wheeled a cart around with a large poster of the "HOT ITEMS" that were on sale for the holiday. Included were: Nintendo Switch, Apple Airpods Pro, Gateway computers, various Apple Watches, and two SmartCast TVs.
The prices of the items were shown on the poster, as well as the part of the store in which they could be found. The employees were explaining the deals. The employee gave the customer a card that said if they wanted one of the deals, they would get it.
The employees explained that the customer would take the card to the designated store area to get their item. The item would be held for the customer for two hours, at which point the hold would be released and the item would be available for purchase to the general public.
The majority of the deals were electronic. A Nintendo Switch went for $299, an Apple Airpods Pro for $159 and an Apple Watch S3 38MM for $109 were all available.
The employees crossed out items that had already been claimed. The Apple Watch was the first to be crossed off.
When the doors opened at 7 a.m., the customers were masked and followed into the store calmly. Some employees wore Santa hats and headbands.
There were red bows in the store. There are signs for available vaccines, masked employees and patrons, and sanitizing stations, but reminders of the Pandemic were also everywhere.
The only place where there was a line was in the electronics section, where customers were allowed in in groups of three to browse the TVs, phones, and video games. The employee said that online advertising makes customers know what they want.
Black Friday has gotten calmer each year according to an associate who has worked at Walmart.
She said that it's not like the chaos that used to happen because of the Pandemic and technology. It's easier to find Black Friday deals online than it is to wait in line at the store.
The employee said that people only come into the store for Black Friday if they want an item immediately and don't want to wait for shipping.
He said that it's more chaotic than a normal morning, but nothing like it used to be.
The scene in this Walmart in Los Angeles was more reminiscent of a midnight book launch than a frenzied shopping craze.
We found a similar scene at a Walmart.
The store was empty for a holiday.
Workers and security staff were outnumbering shoppers.
It was easy to walk down some of the less popular aisles.
Some of the most expensive items that Walmart sells are mostly congregated around by customers that did show up.
Some video games were discounted so much that people were picking through what was left.
There was a display of games for the Nintendo Switch that was popular.
Many of the remaining boxes were opened in a disheveled display of discounted Ring Lights.
The toy aisles were one of the most popular sections of the store.
There were no Legos or Matchbox cars left.
Other toys weren't very popular.
According to data from Adobe, Walmart was completely stocked with air fryers, one of the biggest Black Friday items so far.
The mini waffle makers and Instant Pots were also in stock.
There was nothing like the chaos I've read about from other Black Fridays in the store.
The lines never got more than a few carts deep even with half of the register closed.
The Walmart experience was not great. There were no items that were too good to pass up. Most customers were more casual and hardly anyone seemed to be in a rush.
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