CHAPEL HILL – Black Friday is upon us as the crowds of shoppers are hitting the stores in search of deep discounts.

Superstores like Walmart opened Thanksgiving night with the first round of sales beginning at 6 p.m. That’s two hours earlier than last year.

The SuperTargets at Southpoint Mall and the location off Durham Chapel Hill Blvd. opened at 8:00 p.m Thursday. Shoppers can hunt for bargains until 11:00 p.m. Friday.

Most Best Buy retail stores, including the Durham New Hope Commons location, opened at 6:00 p.m. Thursday and will remain open until 10 p.m. Friday.

Tanger Outlets in Mebane opened at 10:00 p.m. Thursday and will continue to welcome shoppers until 10:00 p.m. Friday.

Southpoint Mall opened at 6:00 a.m. Friday morning, though individual stores like Gap, Forever 21, and ALDO, opened at 8:00 p.m. Thursday.

Total spending over the four-day Black Friday weekend in 2012 reached a record $59.1 billion, a 13 percent increase from $52.4 billion last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

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I go "Black Friday" shopping at Southpoint on Thanksgiving. (Don't worry, I didn't buy anything.)
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