RICHMOND, VA -- Thousands of shoppers hit stores across Central Virginia on Thanksgiving day to find deals and bargains.
But for some folks, like Pippa Curran, the shopping ritual is starting to feel different.
"It really did used to be a whole lot of fun," Curran said.
Curran, a shopper who has flocked to stores for years, said that between the online sales and the perpetual sales offered weeks before Thanksgiving, Black Friday shopping is losing its luster.
"It deflates the day, the excitement," Curran explained.
Curran doesn't think she is alone.
"I don't think I have ever showed up this late and been this far up in line," Curran added, commenting on the fact she arrived at 1 p.m. and was one of the first in line at the Best Buy at Chesterfield Town Center.
There was no pomp and circumstance of other years, no tent cities and line of people camping overnight.
Statastics also seem to back up Curran's theory. The New York Times reports in person shopping has decreased nine billion dollars since 2012, with most shoppers electing to shop online instead.
"I think you still have people who want to experience it," Adam Korvic, a Vice President with Macy's said.
Korvic doesn't dispute more people are shopping online but says the retail industry still thinks about BblackFriday shopping 365 days a year.
"It's never going to lose its luster, its always going to be a place where we challenge ourselves to do better," Korvic added.
The shop local campaign could be affecting sales too, as the American Express-backed Small Business Saturday continues to increase its scope. The first-ever Small Business Saturday took place in 2010, and in 2014 had its best year yet for sales, with $14.3 billion in sales at local, independent shops.
