Black Friday promises shopping deals, and long lines

World Today

Guests take advantage of Target’s Black Friday electronics sales on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016, in Jersey City, N.J. (Photo by Noah K. Murray/Invision for Target/AP Images)

The day after Thanksgiving has become the unofficial beginning of the Christmas and holiday shopping season in the United States.

Black Friday—or the day after Thanksgiving—has taken on a reputation as the day that launches the season. It has taken on a life of its own in recent years, with some major retailers opening their doors on Thanksgiving Day itself to offer shoppers deals.

While the result can foster potential savings for some buyers, it often also results in long lines, and even people leaving a day with their family to ensure that they will grab their favorite item for a bargain.

Some sales started online on Thanksgiving Day. Shoppers spent $1.15 billion online between 5pm EST and midnight –a 13.6 % increase from 2015, according to Adobe Digital Insights. With the increase in online shopping on Black Friday, security agencies, including the FBI, were cautioning buyers to exercise caution.

For some states, however, the shopping holiday has been banned. Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Maine have all banned retailers from opening on Thanksgiving Day.