INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — Within 10 minutes of opening on Black Friday morning, Bass Pro Shops in Independence already had 250 customers come through its doors.
KSHB 41 News saw a long line of people waiting in the cold before the store opened.
The biggest attraction seemed to be the mystery gift cards the store handed out to the first batch of shoppers.
General Manager Ryan Eberly has a positive outlook for the holiday shopping season.
“It’s been great so far," Eberly said. "The ads started Monday for our Thanksgiving Day tap and it’s been really positive sales days since then and even the holiday season has been good for us. High traffic coming in the stores, people are excited about getting a great value here at the store."
At the Independence Center Mall, the majority of stores didn’t open until 7 a.m. However, a few people were inside shopping at stores that opened earlier, including Bath and Body Works.
Madison Smith said she wakes up early the day after Thanksgiving because she loves a good deal.
“I really like Black Friday shopping with my mom," Smith said. "It’s a good bonding moment. Online shopping is hard because I like to try stuff on and see how it fits me."
Smith said she wasn’t looking for anything specific for herself since she was Christmas shopping, but if she saw a good deal on shoes, she would snag them.
