Black Friday shopping

Providence, RI (WPRI) - Despite the rainy weather, thousands of Rhode Islanders were out in force looking for holiday deals on Black Friday.

It's the busiest shopping day of the year, and that means local businesses are hoping for a big boost while bargain hunters are looking for big savings.

More than 12 hours after some of these stores opened their doors, customers continued to filter in, searching for great holiday deals.

Busy cash registers and overstuffed shopping bags are some of the signs of a packed Black Friday at the Warwick Mall. Diehard bargain hunters headed out in the early morning hours, all for the discounts.

"It was all the deals. All the good bargains and there were some really good bargains out there.", says Linda Sinnott.

The mall's Target opened its doors at 5 a.m., with shoppers lining up as early as midnight. 500 people stood in the cold rain, waiting to get in.

Target General Manager Dave Crenca says "when we got here this morning the lines were around the building, but that's to be expected."

Even Santa was busy checking his gift list, with four weeks to go until christmas. Televisions, GPS units and other electronics were some of this year's early top sellers.

Up to 134 million shoppers are expected to hit U.S. stores this weekend, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the retail industry's annual sales. Great deals attracted many customers, who are trying to keep a close eye on their wallets this year.

That Warwick Target says they're already seeing a jump in sales over last year. Some other hot holiday items selling quickly today are snuggies, laptops and this year's must-have toy, the zhu zhu electronic hamster.