Shoppers flock to stores for 'Black Friday' deals

Millions of Americans across the country woke up early to cash in on some bargain deals, including many early risers in Eastern Iowa.

Shoppers in Cedar Rapids lined up in front of Kmart Friday morning for their door buster deals. Electronics were the big sellers today, as shoppers got big discounts on HDTVs and video game consoles.

"Black Friday," as it's become known, is not only important to shoppers, it's important to retailers too. This kickoff to the holiday season could add up to about 40 percent of annual revenue. It's expected that shoppers will spend nearly $500 billion during the holiday shopping season, or about 3 percent more than they did last year.

About 34 percent of consumers said they plan to shop on "Black Friday," up from 31 percent last year, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. 16 percent had planned to shop on Thanksgiving Day itself.

For the weekend, 152 million people are expected to shop, up from 138 million last year.