Black Friday will begin in blackness for many

Some Valley malls will get a jump on Black Friday by opening late Thursday night and in the wee hours of Friday morning.

The Outlets at Anthem, north of Phoenix, will open at 10 p.m. Friday and six Westcor malls around the Valley will open at midnight.

"To kind of kick it off, we're going to be doing a great gift with a purchase -- you spend $100 or more and you get a $50 Westcor gift card," said Westcor's Devon Hoffman.

Night owls can get in on some real deals.

"At 3 a.m., we're going to be doing our first of up to $1,000 gift-card drawings," said Hoffman. "So people can register for that. They must be present to win at 3 a.m."

There will be another drawing at 5 a.m.

Many stores at Chandler Fashion Center will have midnight deals, Hoffman said.

"Aeropostale is doing 15 percent off the entire store; Gap is doing buy one sweater, get one free; Gap Body buy one pajama pant, get one free; Eddie Bauer midnight to 6 a.m., 30 percent off the entire store."

While many mall stores will open at midnight, anchor stores have different opening times. J.C. Penney and Sears will open at 4 a.m. Dillard's workers get to sleep in; they don't open until 9 a.m.

Jean Salazar plans to be among the early shoppers.

"We plan to take naps after Thanksgiving, before we come," she said.

Dave Barregona, however, laughed heartily and said, "You won't see me there."

Barregona said he's already ahead of the game, with about half his Christmas shopping done.