ROANOKE RAPIDS — A $298 laptop at Wal-Mart was the motivation Tina Barnes needed to get out of bed this morning.

The Wal-Mart parking lot was packed Friday morning as shoppers took advantage of many deals in the store. Jacqueline Hough | The Daily Herald Advertisement

“I got here at 3 a.m. I was the second in line and I got it,” she said with a laugh. She got it for her step-daughter to take with her to college.

The Wal-Mart and other Premier Landing businesses had steady business early this morning as shoppers took advantage of several deals.

Barnes said the bad economy was a big factor for her. “This is my first Black Friday and everything is going good so far,” she said.

Capt. Andy Jackson, of the Roanoke Rapids Police Department, said things went smoothly inside Wal-Mart.

He added there have been no incidents or arrests. “With a crowd like this, things have been smooth,” Jackson said.

This year instead of having shoppers line up outside in the cold, they were able to come inside and line up at the various departments with specials.

“With the economy, people are being conservative with their money,” he said. “They are willing to get up for their deals.”

Wayne Taylor braved the crowds and early hour to get a good deal on a Blu-ray DVD player and a Tom Tom.

“So far, I have found everything I was looking for,” he said as he sipped on a Mountain Dew. “The prices were lower than usual.”

The economy played a bit in his decision to come to Wal-Mart at 5 a.m.. “I’ve done Black Friday before but never this early,” he said.

Her young children was the reason Natasha Scott got out of her warm bed. “I got here at 4 a.m. and we were late,” she said. “I know next year to get here earlier.”

In her shopping cart were a Power Wheel for her 1-year-old daughter and a scooter for her 3-year-old son.

Scott said she found many deals but was unhappy with the quantity of some items.

“They need to put more product out,” she said. “When the demand is high, the quantity is always low. I don’t understand it.”

The bad economy worked out in her favor. “The economy is so bad that you want to save as much as you can.”

Anna Carter, of Raleigh, was visiting family in Roanoke Rapids. She was waiting patiently outside of Belk while her family was picking up a trampoline from Wal-Mart.

She arrived with them at 2:15 a.m. to stand in line for the $298 laptop. “I was just there for moral support,” she said.

Carter noted the specials looked good in the circulars but once in the store there is a different story.

“Once you get to the store, there isn’t very many,” she said.