At Menards, 3319 Fifth Ave. S., some customers literally pitched a tent to make sure they had a spot in line when the doors opened at 6 a.m.

Craig Frerichs, Menards first assistant store manager, said the store was busier than a typical day.

“We had people coming in right when the doors opened,” he said.

He said the number of customers who came through the store was comparable to other Black Fridays.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Brianna Lee and John Garretson, both of Fort Dodge, snuggle for warmth inside a pod as they wait for Menards to open their doors on Black Friday. Lee and Garretson were in line since Thursday night.

“It was just average business for Black Friday,” he said.

In terms of any items that seemed to be popular among shoppers, Frerichs said there wasn’t anything that stood out.

Meanwhile, business remained steady at Kohl’s, 2941 Fifth Ave. S., on Friday.

Johanna Irving, the assistant store manager at the Fort Dodge department store, said that’s because Kohl’s has been offering Black Friday deals for three weeks.

“We had all the hot deals going on early,” she said. “It wasn’t crazy busy (on Friday). We have been pretty steady.”

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Todd Dougherty, of Sac City, shops for a generator during Black Friday at Menards.

She said offering the deals earlier was a benefit to people who want to avoid crowds.

“Three weeks they had that opportunity to shop and avoid the crowds,” Irving said.

Vacuums have been a particularly popular item.

“The vacuums were a big one,” Irving said. “Those were $119. Those went out the door.”

Electronics like the Echo Dot and Amazon Fire tablet were other hot items.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Susan Anderson, left, and Mary Beth Russell, both of Eagle Grove, browse for gifts for friends and family at Kohl’s during Black Friday.

“We might have one or two left,” Irving said. “Those have gone quick. They are even sold out online.”

According to Irving, weekends used to be by far the busiest time at Kohl’s. Recently, though, she said that hasn’t necessarily been the case.

“The weekends getting closer to the holidays is when we pick up more,” she said. “Lately, even week days has been steady. There’s more people working from home, so they can leave their house more.”

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Tyrone Fudge, of Webster City, left, moves his shopping cart during Black Friday at Menards.

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla
Tammy Stein, left, and Hunter Stein, 3, of Fort Dodge, wake up early to catch the deals on Black Friday at Menards.