Some Bay Area shoppers skip Thanksgiving altogether to hit the malls

LIVERMORE, Calif. (KGO) -- The lines don't lie. After several years of controversy, it seems the relatively new tradition of shopping on Thanksgiving Day is here to stay.

That's despite a survey result from Deloitte that revealed for this first time ever, Americans are expected to spend more money online than in stores this holiday season.

Shoppers plan to spend 51-percent of their holiday budget online, compared with 42-percent in stores.

Still, that's a hefty percentage of Americans who still prefer the in-store experience, so much so some decided to ditch the turkey and hit the stores, early.

"I'm really big about seeing things, trying them on," said Ana Cardoza, out cruising Livermore's San Francisco Outlet Mall two hours before its scheduled 3:00 p.m. opening. "I like walking around and exploring, especially outlet malls because you get the fresh air."

That said it's still a challenging time for "brick & mortar" retailers trying to lure in the shoppers. That's why so many are offering deep, deep discounts, as high as 85-percent in some store windows.

But America's malls still have one ace in the hole that is shoppers' desire to touch and feel and item, before they buy.

"They're different when you see them online vs. in store," explained shopper Jessika Guizar. "You might not like the fabric, or it might not fit you right."

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