Fort Bend County residents are not going to let the recession put coal in their stockings this Christmas.

Shoppers in Fort Bend turned out in droves on Black Friday, putting a big smile on retailers’ faces as the holiday shopping season gets under way.

This was the second year that Katy Mills mall opened at midnight going into Black Friday and for the second year, it was "wildly successful," said mall manager Mace Hirt.

There were big crowds starting at midnight and continuing through about 4 a.m., Hirt said. Volume dropped off at that point until around 7 a.m. and then picked up again, with crowds the rest of the day.

"It was better than we expected," he said.

Hirt said his informal inquiries indicated jewelry and clothing stores did very well.

It was much the same story at First Colony Mall, which opened at 6 a.m., although some of the mall’s anchor stores opened earlier.

Friday was "definitely better than a busy Saturday," said mall manager Donna Molho.

"We expect shoppers to shop smarter but not necessarily less" this year, she said, which translates to "quality versus quantity."

Drawing a strong volume of shoppers were substantial savings of 40 percent to 70 percent off merchandise in mall stores, said Molho.

"The feeling is let’s try to attract shoppers sooner rather than later. In past years the last week and last days before Christmas are always hectic. Retailers are trying to convert that to early shopping."

To assist shoppers during the holidays, the mall has added valet parking services at two points outside store entrances. Normally valet parking is only available at the restaurants associated with the mall.

And Katy Mills mall pampers shoppers with a "Rejuvenation Station" where people can sit down and rest and have coffee or a cold drink.

"We’re very encouraged by this weekend," said Hirt. He expects shopping volume to drop off some during the next couple of weeks, which is normal, and to pick up again closer to Christmas.

Both malls report their usual contingent of seasonal retailers setting up carts and kiosks in the malls. At Katy Mills, Honey Baked Ham has set up in the parking lot because the mall is filled to capacity, Hirt said.

First Colony Mall has three permanent inside retail spaces empty this holiday season, one of which was recently vacated by Godiva Chocolatier, leaving a sign inviting customers to go to its Galleria store.

Meanwhile, stores not associated with the malls also did blockbuster business on Friday. Traffic was heavy at Kohl’s in Missouri City and at Best Buy in Sugar Land, where shoppers lined up outdoors for early morning openings and huge discounts on merchandise.

"It went great. Sales were good," said Felicia Stallworth, manager of Kohl’s.

At Best Buy, the hot items being sought by shoppers were computers and TVs, said a store manager who asked not to be identified.

But at Best Buy and other stores, Black Friday was just the prelude to Cyber Monday, when online shopping was expected to equal or exceed Friday’s in-store sales.

"There’s a reason stores do Cyber Monday promotions," said the Best Buy manager.