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Blount County shoppers shrugged off fear for the economy and cast their votes for cheer on Black Friday, the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season.

Sales numbers are incomplete, and sales volume could favor big-box retailers, but at first blush, Blount Countians seem to have been in a shopping mood.

The biggest of the local retailers thinks so.

"I've just been to Target and the (Foothills) Mall. It looks like everybody's had a really good day," Boyce Smith, manager of the Alcoa Wal-Mart, said Friday.

He was in the midst of his Black Friday routine. He arrived at the store about 4:30 a.m. in time for the rush of early shoppers seeking the steepest discounts. By 8 a.m., the big push had slackened and Smith checked in with the competition.

"I think everybody's feeling pretty good right now," he said, after making the rounds of other stores.

Smith is sure he's feeling good. His store's sales are "significantly" ahead of last year's.

"The numbers and the merchandise -- this is the best Black Friday we've ever had."

He's not sure why.

"It may be that the consumer is really more interested in trying to make sure they do get the sale items. Not everybody wants to get up at 5 o'clock in the morning and go shopping, but I think it's a good indicator that we're going to have a good Christmas."

Some of the Black Friday shoppers were of the more casual sort. It's a good day to shop, but not something planned out like a miniature military operation.

Matthew and Sarah Pass, of Maryville, said this was the first time they'd been shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. They were headed for Target but not targeting specific items.

"Just any good deals we could find. We found a couple at Lowe's. We're just out doing a little Christmas shopping in general," Matthew said.

Some of it was practical. He had picked up a shop vac at Lowe's. With two young ones, the parents had eyes out for kids' gifts at Target.

"We're looking for a Barbie Jeep or something like that," Sarah said.

Jenna Cox, of Maryville, was more committed to her Black Friday shopping ¬­-- not that it has reached the status of a family tradition. Not yet. She was with her mom, Jill Gardner, also of Maryville, for Round 2 of the shopping morning.

"This is my second time at Target today," said Cox, who had "to park all around the building" when she first arrived because the lot was so full. And she had started early.

"We got up at 3 and were at the mall by 4. At Belk, it was lined up, and they didn't open till 5. JCPenney's was open at 4."

After the sun came up, Cox was still going strong.

"She dragged me out of bed at 8:30," Gardner said, laughing. "My shopping's pretty much done, but of course we walked out with bags. If you come, you always buy something," her mother added.

Cox said the early shoppers seemed to be in good spirits.

"Actually, I was expecting them to be a little bit meaner. They were pretty nice," she said.

Shopping mission

The Riden family, of Maryville, approached Black Friday with a plan. Before lunchtime they had stuffed their SUV with merchandise and were ready to head home.

Rick Riden, his wife, Sherri, and their son Alec had gotten up at 4:15 in the morning to hit the shopping circuit. First, they checked out the ads.

"We do that every year. We go get a paper on Thanksgiving morning and then go through all of it," Sherri said. "We went to Sears and Target and Wal-Mart and Home Depot and Lowe's -- and ate breakfast."

Rick said the economy wasn't discouraging him from Christmas shopping.

"Not today. I was surprised at the mall, how packed it was. Oh, this morning at 4 o'clock, 5 o'clock ..."

He was loading up the last item of their shopping day, a computer. "A good deal" at $398.

"We're ready to go now. We're going to watch some Tennessee basketball," Rick Riden said.

Besides the bigger crowds, the Wal-Mart manager said he noticed another difference this year. Smith said that while electronics and toys have always been the big draws for Black Friday shoppers, people were buying more apparel, luggage and home lines like blankets and coffee makers.

Many shoppers' spirits seemed buoyed by the thrill of the hunt for the best deal.

"Black Friday is a day that our customers really enjoy shopping with each other. You see a lot of families together, especially sisters. You see big groups of people, and their whole morning is planned out. They know what stores they're going to go to. Then they eat something for lunch, and then they go back shopping in the afternoon. It's really become almost part of the Thanksgiving holiday," Smith said.