Kayla Bajo did her part helping retailers on Black Friday.

The 18-year-old University of Hawaii student from Wahiawa hit Ala Moana Center at midnight, and eight hours later she took a break to load bags into the car before returning to the mall for more.

She was one of thousands of shoppers who braved frenzied crowds and long lines while fighting off sleep deprivation to look for bargains.

Pearlridge Center General Manager Fred Paine said it was the most crowded he’s seen the mall since 2007, or "pre-recession times."

"My key store managers said they were seeing sales well above last year’s Black Friday sales," Paine said. "I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m hopeful this is an indicator that we’re going to have a strong holiday season."

For some Hawaii retailers, though, not enough shoppers like Bajo made for a disappointing start to the Christmas shopping season on the day after Thanksgiving.

At the Sanrio store at Ala Moana, employees said the volume of shoppers Friday morning was down from last year, and the quantity of purchases per shopper was also down, marking a "yawning" start for holiday sales.

Inside the RadioShack store at Kahala Mall at 6 a.m., about 30 minutes after it opened, there were more employees than customers.

Nearby at the Apple store, there were more customers than employees, but not by much. There were roughly 30 customers and 15 employees minutes after the store opened at 6 a.m.

At Pearlridge, Paine said there were a handful of merchants he spoke to who said that sales weren’t quite as good as last year, but those were "few and far between."

"The majority I spoke to were very optimistic for the rest of the season and happy for Black Friday," he said.

A sluggish turnout on Black Friday for some retailers could be an effect from several big chains opening on Thanksgiving and pulling shoppers away from what had long been the traditional Friday start of holiday shopping.

An unprecedented number of retailers opened on Thanksgiving night with deals to lure shoppers. For the first time, Toys R Us opened at 9 p.m.; Walmart started its Black Friday sale on Thursday at 10 p.m. Best Buy, Macy’s and Target opened at midnight.

Best Buy offered 42-inch LCD televisions, normally $500, for $200 each, along with deep discounts on laptops, iPads and cameras. The specials attracted a line at the Iwilei Best Buy that circled the block and wrapped around the Costco gas station.

Store manager Shawn Troup said the line was about 20 percent longer this year. The store opened at midnight, five hours earlier than last year.

"It is the most amazing thing when those doors open up and you’ve got your mind and goals set up and you’re rushing towards that TV," said Peter Ataie, a tourist from San Diego who spent two days of his vacation in Hawaii waiting in line to save a couple hundred dollars on an LCD TV and two laptops.

"Yeah, it’s not right to be doing my vacation time in a line, but I would’ve done the same back in San Diego," he said. "The economy’s been really sad, of course; we don’t have (the same) income as we had a few years back. I’d rather sacrifice two days for spending less money."

In Aiea outside the Toys R Us store, an estimated 600 people lined the streets by 8 p.m., according to Pearlridge Center spokeswoman Deborah Sharkey.

Kale Rego, 23, of Waianae was first in line.

"I get plenty money for blow this year," said Rego, who arrived at 6:30 a.m. Thursday for the second year in a row and planned to spend $1,500, up from $300 last year. "The economy is kind of going back up a little bit, and plenty more kids came into the world in my family."

At the Walmart on Keeaumoku Street, a line began to circle the block by midnight as anxious shoppers waited to enter the store, which was controlling the number of people inside.

"We knew the lines were going to be crazy," said downtown resident Keaka Garay, 45, who arrived at Walmart at 1 a.m. "This is a tradition that we’ve carried on for years, and family and friends still think we’re insane. I have to agree with them sometimes."

Retailers and malls worked hard to draw in consumers. Kahala Mall advertised savings up to 70 percent and held drawings throughout Friday for prizes including two nights at the Kahala Hotel, a $200 shopping spree and dinner for two at Hoku’s Restaurant.

Outdoor adventure gear store Soul Trex at Windward Mall also promoted free gifts, including a shopping spree for its first 125 customers.

Hilo Hattie advertised 40 percent to 50 percent discounts, with some items sold below cost.

Fashion boutique Eden in Love at Ward Warehouse rented two large conference rooms above its store to host a Black Friday sale event that began at 9 a.m. offering 40 percent off merchandise. Discounts got progressively smaller over the next three hours.

Eden in Love branding coordinator Michelle Fujii anticipated 30 percent higher sales this year over last year, in part because the Black Friday pop-up store is bigger. Ninety minutes before the store opened to the general public at 9 a.m., about 150 people waited in line. They entered the store after Eden in Love’s 50 top spenders got the store to themselves for an hour, and contributed to strong sales.

"Probably for about an hour or two hours, our (cash) register room was packed," Fujii said midway into the day. "It went very well."

The Retail Merchants of Hawaii trade association expects total holiday sales statewide this year will outdo last year.

The National Retail Federation projects 2.8 percent year-over-year growth in U.S. holiday sales.

Hawaii News Now video: Morning rush for Black Friday wraps up