Shoppers across central Ohio were packing stores early on Black Friday morning, 10TV's Patrick Bell reported.
Some stores opened late Thanksgiving night or early Friday, including Prime Outlets, which opened at midnight for the annual Midnight Madness Pajama Jam.
Other stores, including Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart opened at 5 a.m.
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Shoppers were lined up at the Best Buy Polaris location, waiting waiting for doors to open.
One man lined up at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning spending nearly 24 hours sitting outside in the cold, all for a laptop, Bell reported.
And just after midnight there were already hundreds of people lining up.
Before Thanksgiving had even ended, eager shoppers were lined up at Prime Outlets, decked out in their pajamas and ready for deals, 10TV's Kevin Landers reported.
From people watching to door busters, shoppers said they had a variety of reasons for getting the early start.
The outlets made some security changes to keep people safer, including opening early and allowing people to park before stores opened.
And grocery stores have jumped into the Black Friday frenzy, offering deals and door busters.
Kroger's, the nation's largest grocery chain, will give shoppers $10 back for every $100 worth of gift cards they buy.
The promotion includes gift cards purchased at Kroger for other retailers, and runs through Dec. 13.
And at Easton Town Center, shoppers were also out when the mall opened at 9 a.m.
The general manager said traffic was up nearly 5 percent from last year, 10TV's Tanisha Mallett reported.
Black Friday gets its name because retailers count on the day to start bringing them out of the red financially and into the black.
The National Retail Federation said it expects to see a slight increase up about 6 percent in shoppers who spend this Black Friday shopping as compared to last year.
Meanwhile, law enforcement is reminding shoppers that the season also means more thieves will be targeting your purchases and wallet.
Police are asking you to use your credit or debit card, and limit the cash you carry.
Other tips include holding your purse in front of your body, not on your back or side;
locking purchases in your trunk, away from sight; parking in well-lit areas; and consider shopping
in pairs.
Stay with 10TV News and 10TV.com for the latest information.
