Discount hunters searching for Black Friday deals have officially kicked off the holiday shopping season. Consumers are forecasted to break spending records in 2024, with the average person expected to spend a little over $1,000, up 14% from last year, according to data from RetailMeNot.

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.

Enough consumers enjoy holiday shopping in person that Black Friday remains the biggest day of the year for retail foot traffic in the U.S., according to retail technology company Sensormatic Solutions.