Hughes, who works at a health technology company in New York City, recalls waiting in her car at the mall parking lot as a teenager and rushing to jump in line as soon as other people started moving toward the doors. As a high school student with a limited budget, she would take advantage of the doorbuster sales to wrap up her holiday shopping.

Black Friday crowds aren't what they used to be, but shoppers still turned out at brick-and-mortar stores in large numbers this year.