With retailers in Utah and nationally discounting merchandise 70 percent or more, Black Friday shoppers hesitant about the economy found the bargains they were looking for, though many said they would continue to be more cautious in the days ahead than in years past.

From Park City to Sandy, from downtown Salt Lake City to Layton, Utahns began hitting Wal-Mart and a few other stores that opened on Thanksgiving Day, then lined up as early as 8 p.m. Thursday for the more traditional midnight openings at area malls and outlet centers.

In their pocketbooks and wallets, which had been snapped shut since September as the economic crisis deepened, they carried the success -- or failure -- of the holiday shopping season, which is so crucial to retailers nationwide.

And at least for a chilly night and November day in Utah, they shelled out cash and rang up charges on their credit cards in search of great buys, while being a bit more practical than usual. Retailers in Utah and elsewhere said the focus seemed to on clothing, small home appliances and necessities.

At the Tanger Outlet Center near Park City, cars began filling the parking lots Thanksgiving night for big discounts at a Midnight Madness sale. Once inside the stores, shoppers found markdowns of 40 percent off, then 40 percent off that price.

"We don't have a lot to spend, so this is the way to do it," said Brooke Coon, 22, shopping at Banana Republic with husband Chad, 23, who was pulling an "all-nighter" before heading to work at SkyWest at 7 a.m.

Even shoppers who said they haven't had to cut back much on spending were seeking bargains on Black Friday, so named because historically it has been the day when a surge of shoppers helped stores break into profitability -- into the black -- for the full year.

And though there are fears that the power of the landmark retail day could be fading, it remains an important barometer of people's willingness to spend for the rest of the season. Though many stores at the Tanger Outlets and elsewhere were crammed with 60 to 100 shoppers from Thursday night into Friday night, the steep price cuts that were great for consumers are expected to depress sales and profits in a season that many retail analysts believe could show a rare contraction in spending.

Utah shoppers seemed be signaling that they were willing to spend, but selectively.

"We're going to be more conscientious about spending this year, " said Tanger patron Stacie Ferguson, 30, who works at an engineering firm and was making her first Black Friday foray, accompanied by husband Cache, 27, a mortgage broker. "Fifty percent off something is 50 percent off. The deals are good."

The scene was similar at South Towne Center on south State Street in Sandy, where the line of more than 2,000 shoppers waiting for the doors to open resembled a noisy gathering at a rock concert.

"We're here for the adventure," said Mary Foster, who drove to the mall with her family and friends from Saratoga Springs. "We're cutting back this year, so I'm also looking for some buys."

Foot traffic stayed consistently steady at Tanger and South Towne throughout Friday, representatives for the centers said. "This year has been better than last. Traffic numbers have increased by double digits," said Tanger general manager Nancy Gray.

Perhaps that could be attributed to shoppers geared this year, more than recent holiday seasons, to finding the most bang for their bucks, though preliminary reports from retailers such as Macy's, KB Toys Inc., Best Buy Co. and Toys "R" Us said their shopping crowds were at least as large as last year's.

"More than ever they are out looking for bargains, and we have them. They are very conscious about what they're buying," Gray said.

That was echoed at South Towne. "People are looking at specific retailers and specific promotions. Our tenants are trying to anticipate that and respond," said mall spokeswoman Natalie Watson. "They've been very happy with the results so far."

Results were a little more mixed at The Gateway in downtown Salt Lake, where public safety officials and store representatives said crowds were heavier than the comparatively sparse foot traffic they had seen in the days leading up to Black Friday, though maybe a bit down from previous years.