Black Friday will draw hordes of bargain hunters, some of whom are otherwise searching for work.

Shoppers say holiday sales are too good to pass up. And in a tough economy, it is even more important to get the price right.

Unemployed construction worker James Shattuck was comparison-shopping at Best Buy in Salem earlier this week, laying the ground work to snatch a deal or two tomorrow.

"I'm cheaper this year," he said. "I usually spend a lot so it's going to hurt this year. I'm looking for bargains and for sales."

Some sales blast off at midnight, like at the Tanger Outlet Center in Tilton. Other sales began last weekend.

Shoppers will have to get up early to get in on the deals at the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester. (THOMAS ROY)

"I could not believe the numbers of people out shopping," said Linda Frink, a spokeswoman for the Fox Run Mall in Newington, where anchor stores Sears and JC Penney open at 4 a.m.

Black Friday, when merchant profits traditionally are in the black for the year, can be a real make-it or break-it time. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, December sales in 2008 made up 14 percent of total sales for department stores, and 18 percent for jewelry stores.

New Hampshire businesses are optimistic, said Nancy C. Kyle, president and CEO of the Retail Merchants Association of New Hampshire. More than half of her members surveyed expect holiday sales to exceed last year.

There were a lot of lost shopping days in 2008, courtesy of Mother Nature. December 2008 delivered a major ice storm and more than 400,000 homes and businesses lost power at the peak of the storm.

Though the economy is turning around, interest in layaway plans remains strong, according to Kyle. In her survey, 78 percent of members said more customers are using layaway plans this year compared to last year.

Given the landscape, including a state jobless rate the highest since the recession of the early 1990s, consumers are sale seekers.

Joe Peach of Wilmington, Mass., has changed his shopping habits this holiday season after losing work a year ago; his wife lost her job a month ago. He remembers waiting in line on Black Friday a few years ago to buy a Sony Playstation 2 for his sons.

Not this year. Waiting for his son outside a video game store at Salem's Mall at Rockingham Park last weekend, Peach said his search for work necessitated his search for sales.

"I won't be (out) on Black Friday," said Peach. "We usually don't start holiday shopping until after Thanksgiving, but the kids are only getting small stuff this year. My kids are 14 and 15. They'll get stuff they need, like clothes."

Staff at the Mall at Rockingham Park, which opens at 5 a.m., will distribute flyers listing deals for each store. General Manager Cindy Hall expects a bustling day from open to close.

"I think really there is some pent-up demand," Hall said. "If the right product is at the right place at the right time, the customer is willing to spend money. They're looking for unique items with strong value. If the item is unique, they're willing to spend for it."

At Best Buy in Salem, manager Kevin Grant shares Hall's great expectations. He said inventory levels are higher than in years past. He expects at least a 10 percent increase in sales over last year.

Tax-free shopping just over the Massachusetts border is another boost, he said. As he and his staff prepared for a 5 a.m. opening, Grant noted that customers are changing their spending habits. Sales and savings are more important, he said.

E-commerce continues to play a major role for New Hampshire businesses. In the Retail Merchants Association survey, 53 percent of members said they offer online shopping, and those retailers expect online sales to account for up to 25 percent of their entire holiday sales. Black Friday is often touted as the busiest shopping day of the year. Even so, Retail Merchants Association members surveyed said they expect the Saturday and Sunday before Christmas to be the busiest days this year.