Some opt to give thanks for deals

BRANDON (FOX 13) - It's a busy morning for some shoppers.  Instead of turning up the heat in the kitchen, they are out searching for the best holiday deals.

Dozens of people lined up outside the Bass Pro Shops in Brandon, where the doors opened at 8 a.m.

Russell Harbison walked out a few minutes later and told us he and his wife had each saved at least $10 each.

"[I bought some] some ammunition and some pretzels.  Then we're going home to eat our turkey dinner," he said, bags in hand. 

"My turkey's already in the oven," his wife Sherry added.

The new Bass Pro was just one of several stores giving Black Friday shoppers a full day's head start on deals.  Other shoppers were waiting in line at Best Buy -- some even pulling double duty, searching for deals online while waiting for doors to open.

"Normally when we get down here, I've already got four people sitting in different areas of Walmart.  My son calls me the football coach of Black Friday," Rosa Sparks chuckled by the glow of her laptop computer.  "Yeah, I take it pretty seriously.  I'm saving my husband money, so we all win."

The National Retail Federation says around 60 percent of Americans had started buying Christmas gifts by early November.