What Happened to Black Friday?

After the hashtag #BlackFridayin5Words blew up on Twitter, Pasadena Now decided to hit the streets for what most figured would be the largest shopping event of the year. But this year, it looks like most folks have elected to stay home.

“It’s just another day for me… it’s a work day in fact,” said Anthony who works for Mattress World.

“Things are cheaper so it’s more affordable. I definitely saved a lot of money,” said Kumar, a Pasadena native. “I bought mostly clothes… some for myself and some as gifts,” he added.

“[Black Friday] is actually about the same for me,” said James who did not go shopping but was working as a bell ringer for The Salvation Army. “The stuff that I’m going to buy is for my grandkids anyway,” he explained.

“We just got here but we love sales,” said Mary who went to Macy’s, Orvis and Talbots with her grandmother.

“I don’t know if this is usual or not, I’m not from around here,” said Sumida who was out running errands and doing groceries at Trader Joe’s.

According to the Adobe Digital Index, shoppers in the United States spent more than $1 billion online between midnight and 3 pm Thursday — 22 percent more than last year. The Index tracked more 100 million visits to 4,500 U.S. retail sites earlier this week.

With retailers like REI opting out and other stores offering Thursday night promotions and online deals, Black Friday might not remain the frenzied shopping glut it once was.