Tanya Spott of Pleasanton got up at 5:45 a.m. Thursday to make the shopping trip to the Napa Premium Outlets with two friends. They were particularly drawn to the Coach Outlet store, she said.

"The prices are great. A lot of specials before 10 a.m.," said Spott, as she carried several bags, including one from Coach.

Shoppers arrived early Thursday morning at many of Napa's bigger stores in search of bargains as the first day of the official holiday shopping season kicked into gear.

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is traditionally known as the biggest shopping day of the year.

The National Retail Federation, a retail trade association, estimates holiday sales will increase 5 percent his year, to $457.4 billion, according to a written statement posted on its Web site.

In Napa, stores welcomed their first shoppers as early as 5 a.m. The parking lot at the Napa Premium Outlets off of Highway 29 filled up quickly as stores offered early morning discounts.

John Quadros of Pleasanton waited patiently in his car as his wife, Claudia, shopped at Tommy Hilfiger outlet store, 15-percent off coupon in hand.

They were in town for Thanksgiving, they said.

"You have to admit, it's pretty good sales," said Quadros, 57, as his wife and a store clerk stopped by their car to show him two pairs of jeans for him to choose from.

A few stores away, Larry Frenette explained he and wife, Yuk King, had come from Albany for the day to shop.

Frenette sat on a bench, listening to KNBR, a sports radio station, as his wife shopped at Gymboree's for two grandchildren, Austin, 6, and Kaila, 4.

"I'm a lousy shopper," explained Frenette, 70. "I'm the chauffeur."

His wife, he said, knows all the best places to shop and can remember all the prices.

"She has a shopper's computer brain," Frenette said.

At Ross Dress for Less off Trancas Avenue, Heidi Tunnell of Napa said she began her day at 6 a.m.

One of her friends reminded her she had shopped the day after Thanksgiving last year, Tunnell said. "I remember hating it.

"Yesterday, I debated whether it was worth it. I made the decision that it was. It's worth getting up at the crack of dawn," said the 45-year-old Tunnell, who wanted to Christmas shop for her three boys, two of them teens.

She skipped Wal-Mart because the parking lot was too full and went to Target and RadioShack, Tunnell said.

"Target was very crowded but people weren't rude," said Tunnell, who estimated she saved about $100 Friday morning on the gifts she had purchased.

At Wal-Mart, shopper Lori Pimentel of Napa said she found "a lot of goodies."

Another shopper, Soledad Pelayo of Napa, said she came for the good deals.

"I'm going to spend more than what I get today," said Pelayo who works at the Silverado Resort. "But that's OK once a year," she said as she headed to her car with Christmas gifts for her six grandchildren.

David McCaulou, president of McCaulou's, said his nine stores, including the one in Napa, were busy Friday. The downtown Napa store opened at 9 a.m., an hour earlier than usual.

The biggest shopping day at his stores is typically two days before Christmas, he said in a phone interview. Retail sales indicate the stores are doing well, McCaulou said. "We're having a good year."

Debbie Dever, who owns a chocolate store in Browns Valley and one in the Hatt building on Main Street, reported "lots of activity" Friday.

"It seemed like the season was definitely waking up," she said, adding the good weather may have encouraged shoppers.

Her wholesale orders she has received so far indicate her customers -- stores nationwide and corporate clients -- expect to be busy this holiday season, she also said.

Jan Gates and Kerry Aman came to the Napa Premium Outlets too -- but not to shop.

They were there near the entrance of the shopping mall to stage their annual protest against the use and purchase of fur products.