Shopping has been a mixed bag of chaos and calm in the Sacramento region this Black Friday.

Shoppers flooded some retailers and jammed parking lots, while other malls remain relatively calm, perhaps signaling people's differing views on how to deal with the tough economic times.

At Fry's in North Sacramento early this morning, a line stretched for at least half a mile around the building and parking lot of the Northgate Boulevard electronics store.

Melchor Viloria was the first in line, having arrived at 10:45 a.m. Thursday.

He spent Thanksgiving in line, alone, eating a 10 p.m. dinner of leftover turkey and barbecue chicken that his teenage nephew brought him.

But such was the price - along with $1,198 - that he was willing to pay for a 52-inch, flat-screen television for his parents.

He took short naps on his chair throughout the night.

"This is my first time doing this and I thought I was late," Viloria said.

Lines also were long at Best Buy in Elk Grove, where doors opened at 5 a.m. and shoppers were greeted with the song "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns and Roses.

The line stretched from one end of the shopping center's parking lot to the other, and the crowd quickly moved in to scoop up televisions, laptops, Playstation 3 consoles and GPS systems.

By 9:30 a.m., the store had sold out of most of the items listed in its advertising circular, but there still seemed to be plenty of stock as the line to the registers zig-zagged through the store.

Big sellers, according to employee Daniel Whitney, were a bundle of laptops with upgraded memory and antivirus software or a digital camera with lenses and a bag.

District Manager Mark Sullivan, who had dropped by the store, said he was pleased with what he saw this morning.

"This is very exciting, not just for Best Buy, but for the local economy," Sullivan said.

Bargain hunters also flocked to Wal-Mart in West Sacramento and the store was teeming with shoppers about 5 a.m., but the crowds lessened by about 8 a.m.

Arden Fair mall also seemed to be busy earlier this morning, with crowds decreasing by about 10:30 a.m.

Calm shopping conditions were on tap at Westfield Downtown Plaza and Sunrise Mall, where shoppers seemed to be looking for deals at a more leisurely pace.

Shopping at the Downtown Plaza seemed to mirror tough economic times.

Shoppers were being careful, deliberate. If the price wasn't deeply discounted they walked away and if it wasn't an item they needed, or really wanted, they went elsewhere.

Manuel Vela and Blanca Garcia, of Sacramento, said they used to shop late in the season and buy things on impulse. Today, they shopped early and watched sale signs closely. They are sticking to a budget.

"If I see anything that's on sale, I'll buy it - only if I need it," said Vela, a UPS worker.

A little before 8 a.m., the only sense of frenzy was at Forever 21, where 40 or so women were lined up the store's opening.

Janet Handley, of Elk Grove, was buying clothing for her two college-age children and acknowledged that the economy is taking a toll on her holiday shopping.

Handley, a curriculum director for the public schools in Benicia, said her job could be on the chopping block if the district needs to cut back.

Now she's cutting back her shopping as a precaution.

"I'm going to do about a third less than what we would normally do," she said.

Sunrise Mall also didn't seem as busy this year as in years past. People walked from store to store at a calm pace and weren't grabbing items with the frenzy and flurry previously seen.

Carmen Alvarez and Maria Ayala, Sierra College students from Lincoln, were shopping at the mall about 7:30 a.m. but neither had purchased many items.

Alvarez and Ayala said they thought there were fewer bargains this year.

"There's supposed to be a lot of specials, but I didn't see a lot," Alvarez said.

Deep discounts were on tap at Folsom Premium Outlets, where stores were open at midnight and some as early as 10 p.m. Thursday.

The ploy worked.

Turnout was "awesome," said Brenda Sprouse, the outlet mall's manager.

Aldina Ferreira, of Sacramento, was among those standing in line this morning at Coach, which was letting in only a few shoppers at a time. She was waiting in place for her daughter, who had gone off in pursuit of other deals.

Ferreira said the economy hasn't taken too much of a toll on their shopping this year.

"None of my family has lost any jobs," she said.

Read The Bee's Black Friday shopping blog.

Call The Bee's Niesha Lofing, (916) 321-1270. The Bee's Cathy Locke, Diana Lambert, Chelsea Phua, Dale Kasler, Darrell Smith, Jim Downing and Jon Ortiz contributed to this report.