The holiday gift rush began Thanksgiving night for some in the Bronx. 

Bronx residents were at PC Richard and Son to grab some Black Friday deals. Some were able to score hundreds of dollars off of televisions and appliances.

The store manager told News 12 that he expects more shoppers online.

One shopper says Black Friday improves each year. 

"It's getting better and better every year," says Anthony Hallums. "The sales getting much better, the lines are a little less than they used to be..."

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, used to launch the holiday season, but the competition to grab customers first is keen. Stores like Macy's, Walmart, Target and more were open Thursday evening in what they hope will be a new holiday tradition.

This weekend is crucial to set the tone for the holiday season. Around 137 million people plan to or are considering doing their shopping during the Thanksgiving weekend, according to a survey conducted for the National Retail Federation. That includes online and store shopping. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, vies with the Saturday before Christmas as the busiest shopping day of the year.

The NRF, the nation's largest retail group, expects holiday sales to rise 3.6 percent for November and December, better than the 3 percent growth seen for those months last year. That excludes car sales, gas and restaurant receipts, but includes online spending and other non-store sales such as catalog spending.

Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.