Early wave of Black Friday shoppers out in force

But when she got to the toy store on Pulaski Highway in Rosedale, she was so impressed by the deals she walked out with a shopping cart full of toys -- presents for her son, daughter, two nieces and a neighbor.

"I didn't realize that all these toys were on sale," she said. "I just decided to finish all my (holiday) shopping today."

Auth was one of thousands of bargain-seeking shoppers who woke up before sunrise to take advantage of "doorbuster" deals typical of Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that kicks off the traditional start to the holiday season. Some showed up hours before, taking naps in sleeping bags and huddled in blankets.

The Rosedale Toys R Us opened at midnight and had a line that wrapped around the building twice. By 6 a.m. the store was still packed with shoppers pushing carts filled with toys. At the Best Buy in White Marsh, the first two people in line showed up at 2:30 p.m. the afternoon before. The line wrapped around the back of the building an hour before the 5 a.m. opening.

There were no lines outside the White Marsh Walmart at 3:30 this morning because the store opened 24 hours on Thanksgiving. But mini lines formed throughout the store as people waited to pounce laptops, flat screen televisions and other "doorbuster" items slated to go on sale at 5 a.m. The bargain items were roped off and covered with paper with signs that read "don't touch."

The National Retail Federation said that as many as 134 million people will shop this weekend, more than the 128 million people that planned to last year. Another study commissioned by the International Council of Shopping Centers found that a little more than a quarter of all shoppers planned to go out today.

Consumers are searching for bargains this year as the economy continues to take a toll on their spending. Retailers begin offering holiday sales as early as Halloween this year, knowing that winning over customers would be very competitive this year. Stores and malls such as Toys R Us and Arundel Mills opened at midnight.

The early sales led many to wonder if people would still be enticed to come out on Black Friday, known for its early morning "doorbuster" deals.

But the lines proved otherwise. The question remains how much consumers will spend.

The NRF has predicted a 1 percent sales decrease, the second-weakest holiday season since the federation began tracking sales more than 40 years ago. Last year was the only other time the retail trade group has reported a decline in spending, with sales dropping 3.4 percent in November and December.

The day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday because it is the day that most merchants' ledgers for the year go from red to black.

Linda Wilson, 55, was the first person in line at the White Marsh Best Buy, showing up the afternoon before. The coveted position won her a coupon for a 50-inch flat screen television for about $897, a $400 savings. The Perry Hall resident, who runs a landscaping office, came out with her daughter in what has become an annual tradition for the pair. The pair also wanted to get a laptop and a camera. They planned to end the day with a pedicure.

Wilson said that even though some retailers held sales before today, Black Friday is still the best day to find the steepest discounts.

"You're not going to find it much cheaper," she said.

Melinda Cook, 31, who was fifth in line at Best Buy came with her two aunts a niece and a cousin. The group bought five flat screen televisions and four computers. The Baltimore resident, who runs a medical day care, has been saving money for a month just to shop on this day.

"You can't beat the deals," she said. "The deals are great."

The lines were quiet and orderly as retailers paid more attention to crowd control after an incident at a Long Island Walmart last year where a security guard was trampled by shoppers that pushed the front doors opened.

Charles Ostrander, a manager at the White Marsh Best Buy, said they introduced new measures to help "control chaos." For instance, there were store maps of where the deals were located. Shoppers walked in briskly, but orderly when the doors opened at 5 a.m.

Walmart was also quiet with a noticeable number of employees throughout the store. The front of the store was roped off and there were also security guards from a private company at hand. John High, 20, of Baltimore, who hoped to get a computer, said he liked the changes.

"It's more organized and it's warmer waiting inside," he said.

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