The Black Friday shopping experience

Retailers expect more people to shop between Thanksgiving and Sunday, but retail chains such as Toys R Us and Gap are opening earlier and offering more markdowns, which could mean lower profits for most retailers.

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Nov. 25, 2011

Shoppers, from left, Aurelia Morales, Angelica Morales and Angela Morales unload their carts at the Mall at Prince Georges, in Hyattsville. Once it was obvious all of the items would not fit, Aurelia called her uncle to come and help.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Nov. 25, 2011

Michael Quigley and Chad Martin walk down King Street. Black Friday shoppers arrived in Old Town Alexandria early Friday to get good deals at local shops.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Nov. 25, 2011

Gavin Daniels, principal at Wingate Hughes Architects, takes part in an invitation-only personal shopping day at the Black Room at Lost Boys men's store in Georgetown.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Nov. 25, 2011

Kelly Muccio, owner and creator of Lost Boys men's store in Georgetown, assesses an outfit being modeled by customer Gavin Daniels. Muccio opened the Black Room on Black Friday to provide individual attention at her boutique.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Nov. 25, 2011

Styling assistant Carolou Goodridge organizes ties at the Black Room inside the Lost Boys men's store in Georgetown. Instead of fighting crowds, customers with appointments received special attention and cocktails to sip while they shopped.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Nov. 25, 2011

Pedestrians on King Street in Old Town look at the window display of Decorium. The store will have sales all weekend.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Nov. 25, 2011

Stephanie Beauvais and Louis Dennig arrived at 6:45 a.m. to begin their bargain-hunting in Old Town.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Nov. 25, 2011

Christine Jean and her daughter, Mary Jean, were very happy with the deal they got on a flat screen television at the Target department store. They didn't have to fit the purchase in their car because they live nearby and were going to walk home. Black Friday began at midnight at The Mall at Prince Georges in Hyattsville Maryland.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Nov. 25, 2011

Stephanie Larios needed a break from shopping so she just used her purchases at a chair. She's from Hyattsville, Maryland.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Nov. 25, 2011

Evelin Vasquez wipes her eyes after shopping for a 42-inch television. She was waiting for a relative to come help her load the large set into the car.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Nov. 25, 2011

Pam Josey, who is part of The Mall at Prince Georges management team, hands out cookies, juice, water and a tote bag at an aide table for shoppers that was set up much like a water stop at a road race.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Nov. 25, 2011

Shoppers rush into the entrance of Macy's department store as it opens at midnight in New York.

Stan Honda / AFP/Getty Images

Nov. 25, 2011

Bargain hunters shop for discounted merchandise at Macy's in New York.

Michael Nagle / Getty Images

Nov. 25, 2011

Shoppers fill a Target store in Chicago.

John Gress / Reuters

Nov. 25, 2011

Jorge Gonzales of Hyattsville carries a 32-inch television on the back of his neck after his arms got tired from hauling the heavy box through the mall en route to the parking lot at the Mall at Prince George’s in Hyattsville.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Nov. 25, 2011

From left, Jenny Leonardo, her little sister Diana Leonardo and mom Jeanet Leonardo wait for a 6 a.m. bus at 5:30 a.m. at the Mall at Prince Georges in Hyattsville. They had been at the mall since last night at 7, even though the first stores didn't open until midnight.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Nov. 25, 2011

Keith Washington of the District walks off with the deals he got on some bedding and bath towels at Macy's at the Mall at Prince Georges in Hyattsville, where he shopped at 4 a.m. "The prices were amazing," he said.

Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post

Nov. 25, 2011

Shoppers rush into Kohl's as the doors open at midnight in Corpus Christi, Tex.

Rachel Denny Clow / AP

Nov. 24, 2011

Nicole Lafleur takes her purchased items out to her vehicle after shopping at the Toys R Us in the Fair Lakes Shopping Center. Doors opened at 9 p.m.

Matt McClain / For The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

A long line persists even after the 9 p.m. opening of the Toys R Us in the Fair Lakes Shopping Center in Fairfax.

Matt McClain / For The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

Eric Morris, center, and Cari Marks, center right, weave their way to check out of the Toys R Us in the Fair Lakes Shopping Center.

Matt McClain / For The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

Jagan Kalluri carefully navigates his overflowing shopping cart at a Toys R Us in Fairfax. Doors opened at 9 p.m.

Matt McClain / For The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

Dan Moore waits to check out of the Toys R Us in the Fair Lakes Shopping Center as his nephew, Wyatt Santee, sits in the shopping cart.

Matt McClain / For The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

Shoppers pay for their purchases at an Old Navy store as Black Friday shoppers get an early start at the Citadel outlet stores on Thanksgiving in Los Angeles.

Gus Ruelas / Reuters

Nov. 24, 2011

Shoppers vie for copies of video games at a Black Friday sale at a Wal-Mart Store in Mentor, Ohio.

Daniel Acker / Bloomberg

Nov. 24, 2011

Toys R Us employees clap as Black Friday bargain hunters enter the store, which opened its doors to shoppers at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

Michael Nagle / Getty Images

Nov. 24, 2011

Shoppers are entertained with “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2” as they wait in line outside the Best Buy in the Fair Lakes Shopping Center on Thursday night. Doors opened at midnight for Black Friday shopping.

Matt McClain / For The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

Shoppers wait in line outside a Best Buy in Fairfax.

Matt McClain / For The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

Shoppers watch a movie on a screen while waiting in line for Black Friday sales outside the Best Buy electronics store in Westbury, N.Y.

Shannon Stapleton / Reuters

Nov. 24, 2011

Dennis Park picks out a 40-inch Samsung LCD television as he shops at the Best Buy in the Fair Lakes Shopping Center.

Matt McClain / For The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

Brendan Quiroz, bottom center, is pushed in a cart by his father, Boyito Quiroz, as they wait in line for a television at the Best Buy in the Fair Lakes Shopping Center.

Matt McClain / For The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

People wait in line to purchase items at the Best Buy in the Fair Lakes Shopping Center.

Matt McClain / For The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

Blaze Dikeman, right, waits in line in front of Best Buy in the Fair Lakes Shopping Center in Fairfax. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2” was shown outside to entertain shoppers as they waited for the doors to open at midnight.

Matt McClain / for The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

Christina Sinclair, left, reads a book while Evelyn Lopez, right, tries to stay warm while waiting in line in front of Best Buy.

Matt McClain / for The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

A shopper sleeps while waiting in line at Best Buy.

Matt McClain / for The Washington Post

Nov. 24, 2011

Shoppers wait for midnight under a canopy at a Best Buy store in Santee, Calif. Thousands of consumers are waiting in lines at various stores across the nation on Thanksgiving Day to take advantage of "Black Friday" deals as the holiday shopping season begins.

Sandy Huffaker / Getty Images

Nov. 24, 2011

Nicole Bass, left, tries to stay warm while waiting outside of Best Buy in Evansville, Ind. Bass got to the store about 11:30 a.m. on Thursday and estimates that she is about 25th in line. She's hoping to get a 42-inch television for $200 when the store opens at midnight.

Molly Bartels / AP

Nov. 24, 2011

Jason Dornak and Kelli Nevarez chill out under a warm sun as they patiently wait for the doors at Best Buy to open at midnight in Victoria, Tex. Dornak arrived at 8:30 P.M. Wednesday to secure a spot.

Frank Tilley / AP

Nov. 21, 2011

Windy LaFerney, right, checks her e-mail while her son Caisen LaFerney, 4, plays an electronic game while sitting in the lap of Windy's mother, Nicki Lawrence, left, in their tent in front of a Best Buy store in Mesquite, Tex., on Nov. 21. They wanted to be first in line for a 42-inch TV and other items.

David Woo / Dallas Morning News via AP

Nov. 21, 2011

Shoppers walk past Nicki Lawrence, Caisen LaFerney and Windy LaFerney in their tent in front of the Mesquite, Tex., Best Buy on Nov. 21. ShopperTrak, which monitors customer traffic and sales at 25,000 stores nationwide, says that Black Friday has been the top sales day every year but one since it started monitoring holiday data in 2002, the Associated Press reported.

David Woo / Dallas Morning News via AP

Nov. 22, 2011

Jesus Gaspar, Ryan Leuta, Gilbert Mendoza and Ruben Mendoza, all students at Goldenwest College, camp out in front of a Best Buy in Westminster, Calif. The foursome set up camp Sunday to await Black Friday sales.

Joshua Sudock / Orange County Register via AP

Nov. 23, 2011

Delandus Dowell of UPS delivers merchandise to stores in the Wolfchase Galleria in Memphis.

Jim Weber / The Commercial Appeal via AP

Nov. 21, 2011

Shoppers linger outside FAO Schwarz in New York. Shopping experts suggest planning ahead and doing research online to find the best Black Friday deals.

Bebeto Matthews / AP

Nov. 14, 2011

An employee carries boxes at a Toy R Us store in New York on Nov. 14. The retailer is opening at 9 p.m. Thanksgiving and will discount many toys as much as 50 percent.

Peter Foley / Bloomberg News

Nov. 22, 2011

Shoppers at a New York clothing store Nov. 22. The shopping season is being closely watched for signs of a strengthening economy.

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

Nov. 21, 2011

Shoppers wait to enter an Abercrombie & Fitch store in New York. Reuters reported that investors will look carefully at Abercrombie’s holiday sales after the retailer’s shares fell 38 percent in early November. The company reported that its European sales growth was slowing.

Bebeto Matthews / AP

Nov. 21, 2011

Shoppers cross Madison Avenue at 57th Street in New York. The most common theory for how Black Friday got its name is that the day is usually when retailers turn a profit for the year, or operate in the black, the Associated Press reported.

Bebeto Matthews / AP

Nov. 9, 2011

Shoppers walk past a sale sign at the New York & Company outlet store at Dolphin Mall in Miami. Consumer spending accounts for 70 percent of economic activity.

Lynne Sladky / AP

Nov. 24, 2011

From left, Christina Sinclair, Evelyn Lopez, Marjorie Lopez, Danny Lee and Angela Nah wait in line out in front of the Best Buy in the Fair Lakes Shopping Center in Fairfax. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2” was shown outside to entertain shoppers as they waited for the doors to open at midnight for Black Friday.

Matt McClain / For The Washington Post

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