Black Friday Chaos: Thousands of shoppers wait hours in line before fighting over special deals

While millions of families across America gathered at their dinner tables for their Thanksgiving dinner, thousands of savvy shoppers were waiting in line for Black Friday deals. 

Chaotic scenes unfolded in malls across the country as people got a head start on their Christmas shopping, trying to land the best deals. 

Thousands of people lined up outside of Macy’s Herald Square location in New York City, braving the cold as they waited for employees to open the doors at 5pm on Thursday.   

Video from the landmark Macy’s location shows a massive crowd waiting with anticipation for the doors to open. Once the clock chimed five, the shoppers flooded into the store, buzzing with excitement to get their hands on the evening’s bargains.  

A nearby Best Buy store in Manhattan was a similar vision of chaos, swamped with buyers all trying to get their hands on the latest TV’s, computers, and electronics.   

It’s officially Black Friday! Millions of shoppers across the nation skipped Thanksgiving dinner to get their hands on the best Christmas shopping deals on Thursday for the start of Black Friday sales

Let the shopping begin! Macy's in Herald Square, Manhattan, was swamped with shoppers trying to get their hands on deals

Let the shopping begin! Macy’s in Herald Square, Manhattan, was swamped with shoppers trying to get their hands on deals 

Getting the Best buys: Hundreds of shoppers flooded a Best Buy store in New York trying to get their hands on the hottest electronics

Getting the Best buys: Hundreds of shoppers flooded a Best Buy store in New York trying to get their hands on the hottest electronics 

On a mission: Determined shoppers pictured walking up and down the streets Manhattan on Thursday for Christmas deals

On a mission: Determined shoppers pictured walking up and down the streets Manhattan on Thursday for Christmas deals

Customers bundled up on Thursday evening as they braved the cold for their evening of Black Friday shopping

Customers bundled up on Thursday evening as they braved the cold for their evening of Black Friday shopping

Can't hang! While some shoppers wait all year round for this day of crazy sales, some customers couldn't keep  up with the frenzy and opted to rest on the benches at Macy's Herald Square location in Manhattan

Can’t hang! While some shoppers wait all year round for this day of crazy sales, some customers couldn’t keep  up with the frenzy and opted to rest on the benches at Macy’s Herald Square location in Manhattan 

A global sensation!The obsession with Black Friday has expanded across the world. At one supermarket in Brazil a near brawl broke out in São Paolo as shoppers tried to get their hands on Samsung TV's

A global sensation!The obsession with Black Friday has expanded across the world. At one supermarket in Brazil a near brawl broke out in São Paolo as shoppers tried to get their hands on Samsung TV’s

First come first serve! Shoppers fought each other off at this São Paulo, Brazil store for a deal on Samsung TVs

First come first serve! Shoppers fought each other off at this São Paulo, Brazil store for a deal on Samsung TVs

One Walmart in Bentonville, Arkansas was slammed with people pushing shopping carts full of future presents on Thursday evening. 

Some shoppers in Burbank, California were seen walking out of stores with carts overstuffed with toys – the sign of a very generous holiday season to come. 

Customers were seen stocking up in pricey electronics, toys and home goods to take advantage of the massive sales that hit stores nationwide this time of year. 

The popular holiday has even extended overseas, where even more anarchic scenes unfolded. At one electronics store in São Paulo, Brazil shoppers were seen climbing over each other and fighting to get their hands on flatscreen TVs.  

Some Los Angeles residents decided to leave their turkeys in the oven and instead headed over to nearby malls to cash in on Black Friday sales

Some Los Angeles residents decided to leave their turkeys in the oven and instead headed over to nearby malls to cash in on Black Friday sales 

Shoppers in Los Angeles, California pictured at Aeropostale on Thanksgiving evening for a night of shopping

Shoppers in Los Angeles, California pictured at Aeropostale on Thanksgiving evening for a night of shopping

Some shoppers in Burbank, California were seen walking out of stores with carts overstuffed with toys - the sign of a very generous holiday season to come

Some shoppers in Burbank, California were seen walking out of stores with carts overstuffed with toys – the sign of a very generous holiday season to come

Got it! This customer couldn't contain his excitement over purchasing a brand new 4K TV on Black Friday at a Walmart Bentonville, Arkansas

Got it! This customer couldn’t contain his excitement over purchasing a brand new 4K TV on Black Friday at a Walmart Bentonville, Arkansas

Customers pictured stocking up on electronics, toys, apparel and home goods at Walmart's Black Friday in Bentonville, Arkansas

Customers pictured stocking up on electronics, toys, apparel and home goods at Walmart’s Black Friday in Bentonville, Arkansas

Santa's who? This woman loaded her cart with children's presents on Thursday in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania

Santa’s who? This woman loaded her cart with children’s presents on Thursday in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 

Black Friday is an informal name for the Friday following Thanksgiving Day in the United States and is regarded as the start of America’s Christmas shopping season. 

While stores initially opened their doors at midnight on Friday, the frenzy for blowout discounts has seen stores open their doors earlier and earlier. It is now common to see stores open Thanksgiving Day at 5pm. 

Some stores and companies have sales running all week long the week of Thanksgiving, trying to cash in on the consumer excitement over the special unofficial holiday. 

Black Friday has historically been the busiest shopping day of the year in the Untied States since 2005. 

Electrics are a hot item on Black Friday, where sales are usually more exaggerated than the rest of the year. People pictured shopping at the Best Buy in New York on Thursday evening

Electrics are a hot item on Black Friday, where sales are usually more exaggerated than the rest of the year. People pictured shopping at the Best Buy in New York on Thursday evening 

This Best Buy in New York City was packed with people buying the season's hottest electronics

This Best Buy in New York City was packed with people buying the season’s hottest electronics 

A man fits his latest Black Friday buy - a flat screen TV - into the trunk of his car in a Walmart parking lot on Thursday evening in Burbank, California

A man fits his latest Black Friday buy – a flat screen TV – into the trunk of his car in a Walmart parking lot on Thursday evening in Burbank, California 

Some shoppers in California were seen walking out of stores with carts overstuffed with toys - the sign of a very generous holiday season to come

Some shoppers in California were seen walking out of stores with carts overstuffed with toys – the sign of a very generous holiday season to come

People wait in the cold outside a Best Buy store for it to open for a Black Friday sale in Overland Park, Kansas

People wait in the cold outside a Best Buy store for it to open for a Black Friday sale in Overland Park, Kansas

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