Electronic bargains drew a crowd of early-morning shoppers to the Wal-Mart store in Germantown, Md., and a fight broke out in the ensuing mayhem. Police were called to handle the dispute. "Elbows started going and one thing led to another," said one man who witnessed the encounter. No one was arrested in the incident.The big sellers at Wal-Mart were 20-inch flat screen TV's for $99 and DVD players for $29.It was first come, first served, so shoppers raced to the shelves and loaded up. Aisles were clogged with people and carts. Many of the hot electronic deals that drew customers to the store early, sold out by midmorning. For some shoppers, pre-dawn shopping is an annual tradition. For others, it's a lark.
"The comic relief to tell you the truth. We just want the adventure of it," said one shopper. "Have you been in there? Down by the TV's they're crazy."Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving is traditionally the biggest shopping day of the season. It is the unofficial kickoff of the holiday buying season. Retail experts are looking for one of the best holiday shopping seasons in several years. The International Council of Shopping Centers say most analysts expect retail sales to rise 4 percent from last year. That would be the biggest increase since 1999.
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"Elbows started going and one thing led to another," said one man who witnessed the encounter. No one was arrested in the incident.The big sellers at Wal-Mart were 20-inch flat screen TV's for $99 and DVD players for $29.It was first come, first served, so shoppers raced to the shelves and loaded up. Aisles were clogged with people and carts. Many of the hot electronic deals that drew customers to the store early, sold out by midmorning. 
For some shoppers, pre-dawn shopping is an annual tradition. For others, it's a lark.
