The pre-dawn sales frenzy is over -- and now the tally begins. Steep discounts, enticing rebates and expanded hours drew hordes to the US' retailing giants on Friday, and merchants saw hopeful signs that consumer spending will be lively for the holidays.
More so than during last year's post-Thanksgiving rush, people jammed stores early, with more than a few testy shoppers scuffling in a rush to grab coveted, limited-quantity bargains.
Several major retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Sears, Roebuck and Co and Macy's, as well as mall operator Taubman Centers Inc, estimated they drew bigger crowds for the official holiday season launch compared with last year.
Lena Michaud, spokeswoman at Target Corp, which had a strong holiday season a year ago, said traffic was at least as heavy.
Consumer electronics, including MP3 players, laptop computers, and even pricey flat-screen TVs, were the main attraction, but apparel also fared well, helped by the arrival of frigid weather in many parts of the country, according to Marshal Cohen, senior industry analyst at NPD Group Inc, a market research firm.
No single standout was reported among toys, and popular items included electronics-laced items such as Hasbro Inc's Idog, Fisher-Price's Dora the Explorer's Talking Kitchen, and Zizzle Inc's iZ, according to John Barbour, president of Toys "R" Us' US division, who reported "brisk" business.
"This is the most promotional Black Friday we have seen," said Scott Krugman, a spokesman for the Washington-based National Retail Federation.
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, when shoppers swarm stores to buy holiday gifts that push big retailers into the black -- profitability.
The bargains were so good at Wal-Mart Stores Inc, which offered better deals than last year, that things got out of hand.
In western Michigan's Cascade Township, a woman fell as dozens of people rushed into a store for the 5am opening. Several stepped on her, and a few became entangled as a man pushed them to the ground to keep them away.
When the rush ended, the woman and a 13-year-old girl suffered minor injuries.
Tempers flared at a Wal-Mart in Orlando, Florida, where a man who had allegedly cut in line to buy a bargain notebook computer was wrestled to the ground, according to a video shown by an ABC affiliate, WFTV-TV.
Discounted notebooks, particularly the US$378 HP Pavilion notebooks, were not the only attractions at Wal-Mart, which also sold out of its US$997 42-inch plasma TVs and 15-inch LCD TVs, priced at US$178, in many stores, according to Gail Lavielle, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman. But apparel and toys also did well, she said.
"We were pleased. We thought people did come to us first," said Lavielle.
Terry Lundgren, chairman, president and chief executive of Federated Department Stores Inc, which operates Macy's, estimated the flagship Herald Square store attracted about 1,000 people for the 6am opening.
"I have also seen a lot of bags," he said.
Hot items included cashmere sweaters, down comforters and scarves, he said.
"Today, things look really good. But these next five weeks are really critical," Lundgren added. "You have to wait and see how it unfolds."
Retailers' spirits have improved in recent weeks as gasoline prices have fallen. In fact, on Tuesday National Retail Federation upgraded its holiday growth forecast to 6 percent from the 5 percent it announced in September.
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