A hot meal couldn't cool down Thanksgiving Day shoppers.
"I can heat it up later," said Brandi Jones, 35.
Jones was standing in line at J.C. Penney at 2:50 p.m., among about 50 other people, at a time when most are at home putting the finishing touches on their meal. But that didn't bother her.
"I spent plenty of time with them before I came down here," Jones said of her family. "Retail therapy is always needed."
Jones, getting ready for winter on a 65-degree November day, hoped to save a bunch of money on boots and jackets when the store opened at 3 p.m.
J.C. Penney, at the Charleston Town Center, was opening the earliest out of any of the major retailers in the area Thursday. Most were opening at 5 or 6 p.m. but many of the stores had started their discounts online early Thanksgiving morning.
Jones had been up until 3 a.m. checking out prices online and had already made a few purchases. The National Retail Federation said that there was the potential for 135.8 million people to shop online and in stores over Thanksgiving weekend.
But for many of the shoppers in front of J.C. Penney, being there on Black Friday - or now Thanksgiving Day - is just a part of the holiday tradition.
"I've been Black Friday shopping since I was 16," said Kelly Smith, 27. "So it's kind of an adrenaline rush."
Smith said she liked the feeling of having to get to an item that might be in short supply before someone else got there. This year the crowd wasn't as big as it normally is - which probably was a good thing, because she had a baby strapped to her chest.
Black Friday is also a tradition for Monique Watkins, 34, who has participated for 17 years. Her disgruntled husband was a little bit upset that he was missing the Eagles-Lions game, but Watkins needed him for the extra coupon that J.C. Penney was giving out.
Watkins has noticed as the sales creep earlier and earlier in the week, but hasn't been phased.
"It doesn't bother me," she said. "It means I get to get home and be free."
After J.C. Penney, Watkins was probably headed for Kmart or Wal-Mart, which were opening later.
Later Thursday, at Toys R Us, the first people had started gathering outside the door by 3 p.m., two hours before the doors would open.
Toys R Us wasn't giving coupons out at the door as J.C. Penney was, but, like most stores, it was advertising massive discounts.
Michelle Long, from Charleston, was at Toys R Us on Thanksgiving for the first time. She was drawn in by the Power Wheels Barbie Escalade that was $150 off.
"I'm pretty excited to check it all out," Long said.
Closer to the door were Boone County residents Ashley Daniels and Stacy Gagnon. They had gotten to eat Thanksgiving dinner before trekking to Charleston, but had just missed out on the pumpkin pie.
While they've been coming to Toys R Us every year for five years, they said they miss when the doors used to open at midnight because then, it was easier to find people to watch their kids.
But the earlier opening time hasn't scared them away - yet.
"Right now, no," Daniels said. "But if it gets any earlier, we're done."
Reach Daniel Desrochers at dan.desrochers@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4886 or follow @drdesrochers on Twitter.