Update, 7:02 a.m.: With a majority of the stores in Westfield Montgomery Mall open by 6 a.m., Black Friday shoppers swarmed the mall with shopping bags in hand.

Many shoppers made their way to the mall once additional stores opened. Lilly Sampaio toted bags to her car after visiting the Disney Store when it opened at 6 a.m.

"I got a lot of my Christmas shopping done there and I found some good discounts," Sampaio said.

Jason Taylor, 20, and his 16-year-old sister Falen dropped into Hollister when it opened at 6 a.m. and found some good prices on clothes, he said. Having gone Black Friday shopping in the past, Jason said he usually comes out around 6 a.m. when the stores he wants to shop in are open.

Jeremy Ger and Michael Rollings shopped at Westfield Montgomery Mall after starting at the Best Buy in Gaithersburg at 2 a.m. The friends said they found good bargains at Macy's around 4 a.m. and are shopping around a little more before finally getting some rest.

"Getting up early is worth it if you come with an idea of what you want," Ger said. "The key is to beat the crowd and get out before things get too crazy."

Update, 5:57 a.m.: More and more shoppers trickled into Westfield Montgomery Mall around 5 a.m. for Black Friday sales.

With only a few stores open, lines formed outside many popular ones that opened later, including the Apple Store, which opened at 6 a.m. Karrie Martinez started shopping at Macy's at 4 a.m., but around 5 a.m. waited outside the Apple Store to try and get a few bargains.

"I'm hoping I can get an iPhone for a little cheaper," Martinez said.

Emmanuel Matias started shopping early with his sister but wanted to stop by the Apple Store early to get his iPod repaired.

"I figured since I'm here and I have my iPod, I might as well get it fixed while I have the chance," Matias said.

Lines continued to grow in the Sears electronics department, with some brands of televisions already out of stock, said Sears electronics employee, Dennis Dumire.

"We've had a better turnout this year than last year," Dumire said. "People have been flooding to the electronics and we are still busy, but it's good because we are moving stuff we normally don't move."

Employees expect more people to inundate the electronics department around 8 a.m. when more of the mall's stores open, Dumire said. 

Some Black Friday shoppers continued the tradition this year and hit the malls early.

Danny Ramirez, who has participated in early Black Friday shopping for the last two years, visited Westfield Montgomery Mall after waiting four hours to purchase a television at the Target in Rockville.

"I'm just looking here, but I plan to stop by one more place before sleeping," Ramirez said. "It's cheaper to get the things in the morning, but it's not easy getting up."

Cynthia Hollister, a Whitehall, N.Y. resident, is visiting the area with her son's school trip and wanted to continue her tradition of shopping on Black Friday.

"Part of coming out is tradition. I don't always do it, but I am with a lot of people who do," Hollister said. "I'm not really shopping for anything in particular, but maybe an iPod Touch." 

Update, 4:49 a.m.: There were no lines in sight when stores opened at the Westfield Montgomery Mall for the Black Friday sales.

Macy's and Sears — both of which opened at 4 a.m. Friday — had no wait for early morning shoppers.

Many of the shoppers who did come out to the mall at 4 a.m. knew exactly what they wanted. Azureduee Chambers drove from Baltimore to get a Martha Stewart comforter set at Macy's for a discounted price.

"It's usually $400 but they have it here for $99. It's so much cheaper the closer you get to D.C.," Chambers said. "I've always been a bargain shopper, so I wanted to find the best deal."

The electronics section of Sears was a bustle of activity in an otherwise empty mall. Shopper Baba Gaye stood in the store's only early morning line to get a camera on sale.

"It was tough getting up this morning, but the camera is much cheaper now," Gaye said. "I think it is worth it."

Although there were few shoppers this morning, mall employees said they are bracing themselves for a busy afternoon.

"Things were slow this morning and there were no lines, but we are expecting more people to come later in the morning or the afternoon," said mall security officer Rodolfo Cabrera. "Things will get more hectic than this."