As the countdown towards Christmas begins, here’s a look at some of the half-crazed consumers still licking their wounds following this week’s nationwide blood-sport known as Black Friday.
The elbows-out shopping bonanza began on Thursday night as stores across the country opened their doors early to crowds of frantic bargain hunters.
It carried on throughout the day on Friday as millions flocked to malls, stores and retail websites to snag a bargain.
The elbows-out shopping bonanza known as Black Friday began on Thursday evening
One altercation left a man with a shattered hip after he was flung into an shelf at a Kmart
Footage shows a man in a black and yellow baseball cap shove another male Kmart shopper into an empty shelf after an argument broke out
While most were peaceful in their pursuit of cut-priced goods, brawls and tugs-of-war erupted in different stores.
One altercation left a man with a shattered hip after tussling with another customer at a Kmart over an electronic item. It’s unclear where the incident took place.
Footage shows a man in a black and yellow baseball cap shove another male Kmart shopper into an empty shelf after an argument broke out.
Meanwhile, three grown men were filmed wrestling over a large ‘toy car’ at a Walmart department store. The adults can be seen clutching a large ‘Power Wheels’ box on opposite ends, seesawing the item between them.
A man who appears to work at the store eventually steps in, deciding not to sell the item to anyone involved in the wrestling match.
The violence was even more severe in Missouri where a 19-year-old man was shot outside a mall as shoppers rushed to snap up cut-price goods inside. He is in a critical condition.
While most were peaceful in their pursuit of cut-priced goods, brawls and tugs-of-war erupted in different stores
Three grown men were filmed wrestling over a large ‘toy car’ at a Walmart department store
The adults can be seen clutching a large ‘Power Wheels’ box on opposite ends, seesawing the item between them
A man who appears to work at the store eventually steps in, deciding not to sell the item to anyone involved in the wrestling match
One altercation, in a Buckle store in Hoover, Alabama, resulted in two women being treated by paramedics for injuries sustained during a fight.
Things eventually got so heated at the buckle shop, the whole Riverchase Galleria was forced to close its doors at 11.20pm instead of midnight, according to Hoover police spokesman Lt. Keith Czeskleba.
‘Last night at approximately 11:20 P.M., Hoover Police responded to a fight outside of Buckle at the Riverchase Galleria,’ Czeskleba told Alabama.com.
‘Officers arrived to find two juvenile females engaged in a physical altercation with a group of by-standers watching. The participants were separated and identified by officers. They were treated by paramedics for minor injuries.’
Neither incident of violence in Missouri and Alabama were sparked by fights over sale items, according to local police.
As is the case every year, Target, Walmart and Best Buy were the big winners and had snaking queues outside their stores long before staff welcomed in the first customers.
Experts predict 164 million Americans will spend nearly $1,000 each over the holiday weekend, adding up to an astonishing $20 billion in sales.
Traditionally, most on-the-ground shopping is done on Black Friday and online shoppers wait until Cyber Monday when prices are reduced even further.