Nowadays there are several reasons to dodge going to stores on the after Thanksgiving.

For one, it’s likely retailers are selling the same products online at discounts offered much earlier, sometimes weeks ahead of the holiday season. Add to that the backdrop of inflation draining the average spending power of consumers. Yet the draw to sniff out deals at a physical store didn’t show signs of losing steam this year.

Crowds quickly filled up major malls in Orlando on Black Friday and retailers were prepared with the necessary security and staffers to welcome and assist shoppers.

Around 6 a.m., the Best Buy in Altamonte Springs had a steady flow of customers walking around with gaming consoles and desktop computers in shopping carts. Security guards managed the entrance even though the store wasn’t filled with frenzied shoppers but was buzzing with considerable activity for that time of morning.

A retail associate who preferred not to be named said the days when lines wrapped around the store before opening are over.

“Now people come in pockets,” he said. “That’s because we throw out deals way in advance.”

Amazon Prime Day in October and earlier promotion of Black Friday sales may have calmed some crowds at retailers this year, but experts say shoppers are still expected out in record numbers.

In a report by the National Retail Federation, Phil Rist, an executive with Prosper Insights & Analytics, said more than 40% of shoppers took advantage of October sales for holiday gifts, décor and other seasonal items.

“Early shopping is a trend we have been tracking for several years, and this year there is evidence the deals and promotions from October resonated with consumers,” Rist said in the report.

The group estimates 182 million people plan to shop this year in-store and online through Cyber Monday, surpassing all previous years since tracking began in 2017. Roughly 72% plan to shop on Black Friday, up from 69% in 2022.

The federation predicts overall spending will grow up to 4% throughout the holiday season, totaling about $966 billion. By comparison, last year holiday sales totaled $929.5 billion.

Jessie Lawrence, who runs Holistic World kiosk at The Florida Mall in Orlando, said he noticed a swell of shoppers at the mall. But unlike in past years, he said shoppers are less impulsive — likely because of the economy.

“As a salesman you have to try harder to try to convince people to pull the trigger,” Lawrence said. “Orlando is the new hot spot in terms of foot traffic, and you see people bringing their literal whole families here, but they’re not spending more money.”

Experts say the average consumer is under a lot of strain between school loans, inflation and an increase in cost of living. They say to manage budgets consumers will likely hold out for the best deals and rely on credit cards or flexible payment methods, like buy-now-pay-later programs.

Patrick Brown, vice president of growth marketing at Adobe, said flexible payment options are becoming more mainstream.

“[It] will make it easier for shoppers to hit the buy button, especially on mobile devices where over half of online spending will take place,” Brown said in a recent holiday season forecast report.

Adobe anticipates listed prices on toys will slide 35% this year compared to 34% in 2022. Discounts on electronics are set to hit 30% and 25% for apparel. Other categories with notable discounts include sporting goods, televisions, furniture and bedding.

Still, some buyers weren’t impressed with bargains.

First-time Black Friday shopper Arnold Tran, 26, went to the mall with friends to look for deals on clothes but complained sales weren’t as sizable as expected.

“I feel like I don’t have that much money to spare right now but even then I still like buying stuff,” Tran said. “You can basically have the same bills online and order from home but I guess some people like going in-person. The only benefit in my opinion is trying things on in-person.”

The National Retail Federation said clothes will likely be the top-selling category during the Black Friday weekend followed by gift cards and toys.

And while discounts will lead most shoppers to hunt for rock-bottom Black Friday deals at physical stores, at least 28% are going because it’s part of the holiday tradition, according to the federation.

It is for shoppers like Bob Stevens and his daughter Angela Bouchard. Every year they wake up before sunrise to go Black Friday shopping.

By 6:30 a.m. they were checking out of their third store, Target on State Road 436 in Altamonte Springs, with a couple of bright red poinsettias in their cart.

“This is a yearly occurrence,” Stevens said. “We’re not looking for anything in particular, it’s just something we like to do.”

arabines@orlandosentinel.com