True to predictions, shoppers turned out in droves on Black Friday to take advantage of the sales offered on what some call the biggest shopping day of the year.

Paul Belk, store manager of Belk in Mayberry Mall, said the store gave out 250 coupons within the first 10 minutes of the store’s opening at 4 a.m.

“So far it’s one of the biggest days in several years. I think people see a lot of good deals,” Belk remarked.

LeAnn West of Mount Airy came to Mayberry Mall as she has for the past four years. She left home at 4 a.m. to come and “get a good deal.” She likes to shop in a few stores in the mall and Wal-Mart.

The night before, West shopped online and also found some good deals, but she also wanted to visit the stores.

“We saved a lot of money,” she said.

West said she was able to find a GPS system and digital camera for very good prices.

Elaine Nichols and Jeanette Mains are sisters from Sparta and Galax, Va., and they have shopped together on Black Friday for the past seven or eight years. They get up at 3:30 a.m. and don’t get home until 9 p.m.

“It’s the biggest shopping day that we do,” said Mains.

The sisters said they mostly look for electronics. They begin their shopping day at Wal-Mart at 5 a.m., then go to Lowe’s before eating breakfast. They spend the rest of the day in Mayberry Mall.

They said the crowd at Wal-Mart this morning was “horrendous.” But despite the large crowds, the sisters still enjoy the shopping.

“You get a lot of good deals, and it’s just a tradition,” said Nichols.

Mary Griffith showed up to shop at Mayberry Mall around 8 a.m.

“I’m not one of the early birds, but we’re getting the early bird specials,” Griffith said.

She usually doesn’t shop on Black Friday, but this year she needed to bring her granddaughter to buy some things.

“It looks like a good crowd,” Griffith noted.

While some stores around the nation see fights break out on the morning after Thanksgiving, Belk saw a different outcome at Mayberry Mall.

“Everybody was happy, and it’s gone smoothly, too,” said Belk.

In downtown Mount Airy, a few shops held specials. Meadows of Dan Trading Company opened early and offered discounts all day.

Store owner Lorrie Riccitello said she had planned to open at 7:30 a.m. but opened closer to 7 because there were customers waiting outside.

She said, “It’s been good. We have really good regular shoppers that come every year.”

The store owner said business was about the same as it has been on past Black Fridays, “which I’m thrilled with, in light of the economy,” Riccitello said.

Libby Marion doesn’t usually like to shop on Black Friday, but she had other business downtown to attend to and saw the sale sign on the Meadows of Dan store. She said she couldn’t resist coming in.

“Thirty percent off of their clothes is a great deal,” Marion said as she looked around.

On the day before Thanksgiving, several local store managers predicted that sales would stay the same or go up from sales on previous Black Fridays.

Belk said, “It’s doing just really well.”

Contact Meghann Evans at mevans@mtairynews.com or 719-1952.