Justyn Tabaniag of Salt Lake and three friends camped out in front of Circuit City in Pearlridge beginning at 8 a.m. Thanksgiving morning to get in on the shopping deals for Black Friday.

The group didn't miss out on Thanksgiving entirely, however, as family members brought Thanksgiving dinner to them.

The store opened 15 minutes earlier than its scheduled 5 a.m. start time.

It was like that across Hawai'i shopping centers, as shoppers came out in a big way, a good sign for retailers who have been hit hard by the tourism slowdown.

People were snapping up bargains on Black Friday, the traditional start of the holiday season.

Many stores and shopping centers opened earlier than previous years in hopes of boosting sales on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Circuit City, KB Toys, Macy's, Sears and Toys "R" Us opened their doors to long lines at 5 a.m. Ala Moana Center, Pearlridge Center and Windward Mall opened an hour later.

Black Friday received its name because it historically was the day when a surge of shoppers helped stores break into profitability for the full year.