SAN ANTONIO — Crowds of people walking through the shops at La Cantera — Joel Rios stands out among the rest with his massive yellow bag.
“I bought a LEGO set well actually I bought three,” said Joel Rios.
Black Friday afforded him some free stuff with his purchases.
“I have two flower sets and two free Santa sets,” said Rios.
And he’s surrounded by people looking for deals.
“I just wanna get gifts for people cheaper,” said Evie Hunt.
“I got a cashmere sweater, which is really good for the sales because it’s like super expensive,” said Hunt.
According to the National Retail Federation
holiday sales for 2025 are expected to increase by around 4% compared to 2024.
And the local Chamber of Commerce expects sales to outperform last year as well.
“I think we’re gonna have a good I’d call it a good weekend, a good solid Friday,” said Jeff Webster, president and CEO of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.
Last year’s numbers show online shopping is growing faster than in-person.
“It used to be just the big boys did online shopping, but now everybody can do it,” said Webster.
But still, those we talked to say in-person shopping has its place.
“I like to shop in person ‘cause I can try things on and make sure that I like it — not just online,” said Emma Schorn.
“Personally I’m not gonna buy something unless I see it in person, so the moment I saw this and what it looked like, I was like okay — I need that,” said Rios.
Webster says online shopping still supports the local economy but it means something else to experience the holiday festivities and deals in person.
