Shoppers flooded local stores on Black Friday in hopes of finding great deals.

The most serious shoppers even lined up outside Goody’s and Belk waiting for the doors to open Thursday night, while others walked the aisles of Walmart scoping out the best deals there.

“It’s been a longer experience than normal, but it’s been very successful for us,” said Daniel Scoggins, Belk store manager.

Hundreds of people lined the sidewalk waiting for the doors of Belk to open at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.

“Black Friday has been very successful for us. We opened our doors with about 400 people ready for our gift cards that we were giving away,” Scoggins said.

Many different items were on Belk’s “Early Bird” specials list, but Scoggins said it was boots that really drew people in.

“Hands down it’s the boots,” Scoggins said. “Our boots sales have definitely been what everyone is coming in for.

The store stayed open all night, and shoppers continued seeking the deals into the day Friday.

“We had steady traffic throughout the evening, which was a change from last year,” Scoggins said. “We’ve had a really positive turnout and really positive reaction to our sales.”

A customer at Belk, Kim Gault, said shopping on Black Friday is exciting and a thrill for her.

“I have been to probably about six stores now,” Gault said. “I’m out here shopping again with my mom and sister.”

Gault said she was after some of the deals on Belk’s boots but that she had already purchased her best buy.

“My favorite deal will probably be [from] Wal-Mart,” Gault said. “I got video games, some games for the kids.”

Gault said the deals were great, but it was the crowds that drew her out to the stores.

“I just love being in the midst of the holidays,” Gualt said. “Me and my husband, we strategize for two weeks about what we are going to get, which stores we’re going to go to.”

It’s not only her husband that Gault takes shopping. She also rallies her friends together to partake in the fun.

“We basically go from store to store, and we get friends and we all get together and go out and make a day of it,” Gault said. “It’s lots of fun being with my friends and just being out in the crowds. Just feeling the atmosphere is good. I just love it.”