It's a Wrap on Black Friday 2009

Early reports from the shopping centers indicate that Black Friday crowds were bigger than on the day after Thanksgiving last year.

Retailers are hoping it will translate to a better holiday season, after a year of sales declines, and maybe provide a boost to the struggling economy.

Stores enticed customers with expanded hours and deep discounts. Some started their sales early, with several large retailers, including Walmart, opening on Thanksgiving Day.

There were isolated reports of squabbles , but pre-dawn crowds were generally calm. Stores took extra precautions to control the throngs after a Walmart worker on Long Island was trampled to death last year on Black Friday.

In a sign that many consumers remain cautious, mall operators say more shoppers are making purchases with cash and debit cards instead of credit.

The term Black Friday in connection with the day after Thanksgiving has several origins. The earliest comes from the mid-1960s from the Philadelphia Police Department because of the heavy traffic caused by shoppers.

An explanation from the early 1980s ties it to the accounting practice of using black ink to denote profits, with the day after Thanksgiving beginning the period where some retailers achieve a profit on the day after operating at a loss earlier in the year.