Mention Black Friday to most shoppers, and images of unruly crowds and scuffles over Nintendo Wiis and Zhu-Zhu Pets immediately spring to mind.
And you don't have to look far to find tales of woe from the frontline workers who staff the registers and stock the shelves.
Cassie Thomas recalled spending more than an hour looking for parking at Park Meadows several years ago. She was headed in for her morning shift at Dillards, she said in a Facebook post.
"I got rear-ended," she wrote in response to a Facebook query from a reporter. "Decided to call it a day and never went back!"
But many retailers and analysts say stores are making Black Friday trips easier by extending sales and discounting larger quantities.
Sales at JCPenney started in early November, said Darren Patterson, assistant store manager at the Town Center at Aurora.
Black Friday is thought to have gotten its name because the shopping surge on the day after Thanksgiving helped retailers change their ledger balance from being in the red — losing money — to in the black and profitable for the year.
"We have more inventory this year than last year in anticipation that it's going to be a good holiday season, and it started off that way," Patterson said.
Nonetheless, JCPenney hired seasonal employees and installed extra registers to deal with the expected crowds.
"It's very hectic because in a seven-hour period, we have more people in the store, at any given point in time, than what we have at any time during the year," said Patterson, who has worked every Black Friday during his 20 years with JCPenney.
For his part, Patterson said he hasn't experienced the tales of drama that some retail workers share.
"You hear some horror stories, but for the most part (shoppers) are understanding and very respectful," Patterson said.
Black Friday merchandise is also selling in larger quantities, leaving shoppers with
ittle reason to create chaos over limited supply, said Jon Schallert, a Longmont-based retail analyst.
"The retailers are smarter now to not cause that kind of reaction," Schallert said.
Many retailers offered early and extended Black Friday deals. Some retailers leaked early ad specials to help consumers map their shopping route.
Patterson advises Black Friday shoppers to be patient, get to their destination early, have ad specials handy and "understand it's going to be a busy day no matter where you go."