Douglas shoppers, like those nationally, were out in force Friday, some buying, some not.

Reports throughout the nation indicate numbers of shoppers were still up for the day after Thanksgiving, but shoppers were being a little more cautious about how they spend their money.

Some Douglas merchants sales were off compared to last year, despite the number of shoppers downtown, while other merchants said their sales were the same or up from the previous year.

More than 200 waited in the cold and dark for the beginning of Wal-Mart’s annual after-Thanksgiving sale, and there were still alot of shoppers in stores along Fifth Street --Wal-mart, Radio Shack, Family Dollar, JC Penney, Stage and Fallas Pareades -- even as late as 2 p.m.

There were long lines of cars in Mexico waiting to get across  into Douglas this morning.

There is some concern that with prices dropping dramatically at major retailers since early November, that shoppers may wait a little longer to spend their Christmas money to see if prices fall further.

Good news for retailers

Preliminary reports from several major retailers including Macy’s and Toys “R’’ Us said that crowds were at least as large as last year’s, but many shoppers sounded notes of caution and concern.

Retailers extended their hours, some opening at midnight, and offered deals that were deeper and wider than the deep discounts that shoppers found throughout November.

Best Buy, which threw its doors open at 5 a.m. offered such specials as a 49-inch Panasonic plasma HDTV for $899.99 and a $189.99 GPS device by Garmin. Toys “R’’ Us was offering up to 60 percent discounts from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Many consumers, clutching the store circulars, were focused on a few bargains Friday. They said they were slashing their overall holiday budgets from a year ago as they juggle paying their rent and other bills while putting food on the table amid layoffs, tightening credit and dwindling retirement accounts.

At the Best Buy store in Syracuse, N.Y., a line snaked past stores and around walkways on the second floor of Carousel Center a few moments before the store’s 5 a.m. opening — about eight hours after some people near the front of the line had arrived. Rob Schoeneck, the mall’s manager, estimated about 1,000 people were waiting for the electronics store to open and said the crowd was about the same size as a year ago.

“I don’t usually save, so this year is a little different,” she said.

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. But this year, with rampant promotions of up to 70 percent throughout the month including even at luxury stores like Saks Fifth Avenue amid a deteriorating economy, the power of this landmark day for the retail industry could be fading.

Still, while it isn’t a predictor of holiday sales, the day after Thanksgiving is an important barometer of people’s willingness to spend for the rest of the season. And particularly this year, analysts will dissect how the economy is shaping buying habits in a season that many analysts predict could see a contraction in spending from a year ago.

Last year, the Thanksgiving shopping weekend of Friday through Sunday accounted for about 10 percent of overall holiday sales, according to ShopperTrak RCT Corp.

The group hasn’t released estimates for Black Friday sales this year, but experts believe it will remain one of the season’s biggest selling days, even as shoppers remain deliberate in their spending.

“This is definitely a hit-and-run mentality,” said C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group. “They are running in, grabbing the deal and running out. This is what I am seeing this morning.”

Associated Press reports contributed to this story.