Chris Franz / Getty Images
Customers gather and wait for Sears to open at 4 a.m. at the West Acres Mall in Fargo, North Dakota, on Nov. 25. Over 30 stores at the mall opened at midnight.
Sean D. Elliot / The Day via AP
Shoppers line-up at Target in Lisbon, Conn., for Black Friday bargains late on Thursday, Nov. 24. Black Friday began in earnest as Target and other stores opened their doors at midnight.
Nick Oza / The Arizona Republic via AP
Landry Spitler (front left) Riley Spitler (left center) Megan Davis (top left) and Laura Davis (far right) show signs of fatigue while they wait in line for a cashier at the Target store in Mesa , Az., on Nov. 25.
John Gress / Reuters
Shoppers ride an escalator at a Target Store in Chicago on Nov. 25.
Paul J. Richards / AFP - Getty Images
Black Friday shoppers wait in the check-out line over an hour, after waiting in line to get in and then fighting huge crowds at the Toys-R-Us store at the Fair Lakes Shopping Center in Fairfax, Virginia, which opened up at 9 p.m. on Nov. 24.
Related content:
- Black Friday violence: 2 shot, 15 pepper-sprayed
- Shoppers get bargains, less brouhaha
- NYT: Friday's deals may not be the best
- More images of Black Friday on PhotoBlog
- The essential video guide:
Did you know that the term "black Friday" was coined by a Philadelphia newspaper? TODAY's Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb talk about the history and fun anecdotes surrounding the busiest shopping day of the year.