Shoppers Hit King of Prussia Mall Early On Black Friday

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA —As the sun came up Friday morning, a steady stream of cars piled into lots at King of Prussia Mall.

Shoppers were out in abundance eager to land the best deals on high-end merchandise at one of the largest malls in the country.

The mall was decked out and ready for Santa’s arrival at 11 a.m Friday in the plaza outside Nordstrom.

Santa will be available from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Dec. 8, excluding Sunday. Nov. 27. His hours that day are noon to 6 p.m.

On Friday morning, some stores started jamming up early, like the Apple Store and Lululemon, an upscale women’s athletic store, and of course the food court was crowded.

The mall features over 459 stores including Apple, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, J. Crew, Macy’s, and upscale stores like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Brooks Brothers, Club Monaco, and Neiman Marcus.

Shoppers were optimistic about this year’s shopping experience, after three years of mostly online shopping due to the pandemic.

For many families, a trip to the mall on Black Friday is a tradition.

Just like before the pandemic, there was a mob scene at Lululemon.

Mothers and daughters were searching through the aisles for hoodies and leggings.

There were wall-to-wall people, while a line was forming out the door.

Anthony Kelly, 40, and Ebony Kelly, 31, drove from Baltimore just to enjoy the ambiance of the holidays at the mall.

“We love to come here,” Ebony said, standing in front of a tree outside Nordstrom. “We come here every year. We are just waiting for Nordstrom to open up.”

The mall halls were filling up quickly with smiling faces browsing the stores and snacking on pretzels, cookies, coffee and more.

J. Crew, a popular upscale, clothing store, was packed by 8 a.m.
Julia King, a sales associate, said she recently moved to the area because her son, LaMonte King, 15, plays soccer for the Philadelphia Union.

The mall has a handful of toy stores. Amazing Toys, has just a few parents browsing.
Carlitos Arlos, 16, a sales clerk and Upper Merion High School student, said this year the remote cars are extremely popular. Arlos said he expects sales to pick up.

One of the most popular spots in the mall is the shoe department in Nordstrom.
There are thousands of popular styles including Birdies, All Birds, Uggs, and Sarah Jessica Parker’s shoes.

History

• In 1963, the Kravco company opened the Plaza at King of Prussia, the oldest portion of the complex, which opened as a modest open air shopping center anchored by J.C. Penney discount department store, E.J. Korvette and Acme.
• The Plaza prospered and became partially enclosed in the late 1970s with JC Penneys, Gimbels and Wanamaker’s.
• The company then opened a second mall, the Court at King of Prussia, featuring Bambergers, Bloomingdales and Abraham and Straus.
• By the early 1990s, Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom were added to the Plaza and the two malls were connected.
• The next plan in 2023 calls for Wayfair, an online retailer of furniture and home goods, opening in the former J.C. Penney space with a cafe and rooftop bar.