Black Friday Off to A Smooth Start

San Diegans showed up en masse Friday to area shopping malls, outlet centers and big box stores for Black Friday.

While the large crowds resulted in long lines and full parking lots, few problems were reported.

A man was stabbed outside Westfield Plaza Camino Real in Carlsbad around 12:30 a.m., but there was no information on whether it was related to Black Friday. Also, San Diego police were called to an apartment complex adjacent to Westfield UTC with reports of an armed man.

Otherwise, the biggest obstacle for shoppers was intermittent showers.

One shopper who was waiting for the Sports Authority store near Grossmont Center to open at 6 a.m. told NBC7 the other people lined up outside the retailer were friendly and "trying to have a good time."

"Everyone's always out here to get a good deal too, so there's no need try and fight people over it," the shopper said.

Mark Scott, a shopper at electronics retailer Best Buy in Mira Mesa, told CBS8, "It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was pretty easy."

Among the deals at were an iPad for $299, a 55-inch television for $499 and a Kindle Fire HD with a 7-inch screen for $99.

According to various news reports, the malls were relatively quiet in the morning hours but filled up by noon.

"Everyone wakes up, you know they want to come here and shop more -- you can see the line is all the way to the back," a store worker told 10News.

—City News Service