MADISON, Wis. -- Plenty of people are searching Milwaukee area stores for holiday deals Friday, but the sour economy has clearly tempered their inclination to buy.

Early morning shoppers in southeast Wisconsin snapped up good deals on TVs and GPS units. But customers who arrived at stores later were less likely to buy, with many just poking through merchandise.

At a Wal-Mart store in Milwaukee, Henry Peters, 42, bought a kitchen play set and other toys for his children. But he said he's buying fewer presents overall this year because he needs to stretch his budget farther.

Shirley Jackson, of Milwaukee, missed out on the 42-inch high-definition TVs on sale at Wal-Mart. She said it's just as well, since money is tight and necessities are more important now.

Some experts said this holiday season could be the weakest in terms of spending since 1991, but plenty of retailers are still fighting for holiday dollars this season.

In Madison, shoppers had already lined up outside Best Buy on the city's West Side on Thursday night, eight hours before the store opened on Friday.

Retail expert Deborah Mitchell, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business, said that for the first time ever, retailers have rolled out "pre-Black Friday" deals, offering steep discounts before what is historically the biggest sale day of the year.

"This is really a first, this idea of pulling forward the big sale before Friday. It almost is taking a bit of the excitement away from the traditional Black Friday kickoff because we are seeing so many promotions going on already," Mitchell said.

It's a sign that retailers are worried, and Mitchell said it's for good reason -- consumers are spending less and consumer confidence is way down.

But Mitchell said that news shouldn't necessarily make consumers stay home this Black Friday. She said know that consumers are spending less, so shoppers will likely find some incredible deals on Friday and on "Cyber Monday" as retailers fight for business.

Many stores in the Madison area, like Best Buy, opened at 5 a.m. Friday. Kohl's opened at 4 a.m. Friday. And some retailers, like the outlet mall in Wisconsin Dells, opened at midnight Thanksgiving night.

For those who don't want to contend with holiday shoppers on Black Friday, they can also find deals on the Internet. According to U.S. News and World Report, some stores -- including Wal-Mart and Best Buy -- are expected to offer online deals that aren't available in stores. Target is also offering free shipping on numerous products ordered on its Web site.