Suffolk shoppers were out in full force on Black Friday, snapping up drastically discounted items at retailers throughout the city.

Meg McIntosh, a veteran Black Friday shopper, left her home at 8:30 Thursday night and was still shopping at 11 a.m. on Friday.

“I pre-plan every time I go,” McIntosh said. “I save up my money. I print out coupons. I do it as thrifty as I can.”

McIntosh first hit the outlet stores in Williamsburg, then worked her way back toward home. She left the Kohl’s store in North Suffolk on Friday morning with a bag full of purchases.

“In this economy, you have to do what you can,” she said.

Besides gifts for her own friends and family, McIntosh also picked up some items for people who had to work Friday.

Despite the economy that is still sagging after months of struggle, McIntosh said customers and retailers were upbeat throughout the night and into the morning.

“It’s just a good atmosphere,” she said of the stores she had visited. “Everybody’s been pretty positive.”

Also at the Kohl’s store, Sue Bambery had picked up some clothing for gifts and a Christmas dress for her daughter, Caitlin. She also mentioned the store had good deals on Washington Redskins décor.

Kohl’s opened at 3 a.m. with promises of discounts up to 60 percent on some items. Walmart’s Black Friday deals started even earlier.

Today is being tagged as “Small Business Saturday,” which encourages shoppers to pick up gifts at small businesses rather than big-box retailers. Next week, shoppers are expected to take to the online world for their purchases on the day known as “Cyber Monday.”