REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - People from all over the Mid-Atlantic region traveled to Rehoboth Beach to kick off the holiday season by snagging great deals. While there are plenty of options on where to shop, people travel from afar for one big reason,
"Tax free! Tax free definitely! We travel all the way from Dorchester so it's a little over fifty miles." says shopper Taylor Jones.
Shops opened their doors in the Tanger Outlets for the holiday at 6 a.m., but the outlets say parking lots were at about 90 percent capacity already by 7 a.m.
"The summer season is certainly our peak season here in Rehoboth but Black Friday and the holiday season really just helps to drive the traffic towards our retail partners here." said Michele Doucette, representative for the Tanger Outlets.
According to Jones, the far drive and long lines are worth the Black Friday tradition she and her family have upheld since she was a child,
"I just like hanging out with my family, friends, having the whole experience, having everybody's interaction... I think that's what makes it good."
Fur Baby, a local shop from Milford that recently opened a second location at the temporary 'pop-up' space in the seaside outlets, was eager to be apart of the Black Friday frenzy. Employees say the influx of people for the small business is a big help in the off season.
"We opened the doors at 6am this morning and people were here ready at 6 a.m. to shop. We met tons of new people that were not familiar with who we are and then we've seen a lot of familiar faces come through the door today." says employee Samantha Norbarg. "As a small business we're gracious, we're thankful, we appreciate it."
Deals at the Tanger Outlets can be experienced all weekend long and Saturday, Nov. 25 is Small Business Saturday.