JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — We are less than a week away from Thanksgiving and Black Friday arrives right after that. Local retailers said customers flooded their doors already to get all the essentials.
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Walmart managers said holiday foot traffic has been heavy with customers shopping every day and focusing on early gifts and meals.
Shopper Jasmin Harris said she has been on the hunt now, so she can beat the holiday crowds which are expected to only grow as we get deeper into the holiday season.
“Traffic is a little less versus coming in December closer to Christmas. You can see all the sales and stuff are coming out now,” said Harris.
Harris hopes she can end 2024 with a special holiday surrounded by her family, however, she still wants to stretch a dollar.
“I need to save more money or at least try to for a little bit.”
Another shopper told Action News Jax after the cost of many goods went up this year, she is relieved to see overall lower prices for holiday meals. That is especially because turkeys are reported to be much cheaper this season than in past years.
“Turkeys were only 49 cents a pound. You can hardly beat that,” said Kay H.
As we reported earlier this week, the Department of Agriculture said the per capita demand for a turkey was 13.9 lbs. this year, one pound less than last year.
A Walmart spokesperson, Lucia Alvaradl, said the company is taking advantage of the price of turkeys by selling meal baskets that have all the essentials.
“One basket will have everything, from the turkey to the dessert. The basket is a little less than $7 per person and it feeds up to eight people,” said Alvaradl.
The average Thanksgiving meal for a family of ten is expected to be a little more than $58 which is cheaper than last year, however, it is still considered high compared to five years ago.
Walmart leaders said they are grateful they were able to shave off the cost of multiple items, especially turkeys. They ask customers to come out either in person or online.
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