• Even as online Black Friday shopping increases, people still formed lines at stores across the US.
• Crowds descended on stores like Best Buy and shopping centers like the American Dream mall.
• Target attracted in-person Black Friday shoppers with exclusive in-store Taylor Swift merchandise.

The ease of online shopping and the disruption of in-person events at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic have continued to impact attendance at Black Friday doorbuster sales, but shoppers still turned out at stores in large numbers this year.

In 2023, Black Friday online shopping hit a record high with a total of $9.8 billion spent — a 7.5% increase from 2022, according to an Adobe report.

Even so, shopping in person the day after Thanksgiving hasn't completely died out. Of the 131.7 million people expected to shop on Black Friday in 2024, 65% said they planned to shop at stores in person, according to the National Retail Federation's annual survey.

Retailers like Target also drew customers to brick-and-mortar locations by releasing exclusive Taylor Swift merchandise in-store on Black Friday before making it available online the following day.

Take a look at Black Friday crowds across the US.

The parking lot at Citadel Outlets in Commerce, California, was already packed on Thursday night.

Shoppers lined up outside retailers like H&M, Kate Spade, and Tory Burch at Citadel Outlets to await their turn.

Lines formed outside Macy's flagship store in New York City early in the morning on Black Friday.

Target's exclusive Taylor Swift merchandise attracted a line of Swifties in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Fans picked up copies of "The Eras Tour Book" and exclusive versions of Swift's latest album, "The Tortured Poets Department."

Shoppers also waited outside Best Buy in Downey, California, in the early hours of the morning on Black Friday.

At the American Dream Mall in New Jersey, shoppers were drawn to experiences like its Nickelodeon Universe theme park, not just its stores.

Of course, the American Dream mall's retail offerings still proved popular.

• Taylor Swift's "The Eras Tour Book" was released exclusively at Target on Black Friday.
• Swift self-published the book, which shows a behind-the-scenes look at her record-breaking tour.
• Shoppers lined up outside Target stores to buy the book and other Taylor Swift merchandise.

Taylor Swift fans lined up to purchase "The Eras Tour Book," a behind-the-scenes look at the singer's blockbuster tour that was released exclusively at Target on Black Friday.

The 256-page book retails for $39.99 and features over 500 photos of rehearsals, costumes, set pieces, and performances from her record-breaking Eras Tour, which became the highest-grossing tour of all time when it surpassed $1 billion in revenue.

Instead of working with a larger publisher, Swift self-published the book through her own imprint, Taylor Swift Publications, which printed 2 million copies, The Wall Street Journal reported.

A representative for Target told Business Insider that as of 10 a.m. ET on Black Friday, "The Eras Tour Book" was already the retailer's No. 1 new release and its highest-selling book of 2024.

In addition to "The Eras Tour Book," Target also stocked exclusive vinyl record and CD versions of "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology," Swift's latest 35-track, two-part album. The vinyl retails for $59.99, and the CD costs $17.99.

Taylor Swift fans waited outside Target stores in the early hours of the morning on Black Friday for a chance to purchase the book and other exclusive merchandise. One location even created separate lines for the general public and Swifties who were just there to buy the book and album, a shopper wrote on X.

The Black Friday sales event comes after Target's disappointing third-quarter earnings. Both sales and earnings missed estimates, and the retailer cut its guidance.

The Eras Tour began on March 17, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona, and will conclude in Vancouver on December 8.

November 29, 2024: This story has been modified with updated sales information provided by Target.