FORT WAYNE – A special scent wafts through the crisp autumn air on Thanksgiving and the day after. The aroma: sales. Local bargain hunters say they’re helpless to resist.

Karen Atchley and Jason Gomez can attest to that. The Fort Wayne couple were amazed by some of the hauls they saw other shoppers wheel to checkouts Friday morning.

“I’ve seen people with three, four cartfuls at a time,” she said.

The nation’s shoppers took advantage of deals on toys and TVs with some renewed vigor in stores and online on Black Friday after a year of concentrating their spending on basic necessities during the deepest recession since the 1930s.

Though the first numbers won’t be released until today, early reports indicated bigger crowds than last year, with people buying more and even throwing in some items for themselves.

It was an encouraging sign for retailers, which have suffered through a year of sales declines, and perhaps also for the broader economy, which could use a kick-start from consumer spending. Although numerous economists say the recession is over, national unemployment remains at 10.2 percent.

The National Retail Federation has forecast a 1 percent decrease in holiday shopping this year compared to last for a total of $437.6 billion.

Atchley and Gomez, who are engaged, did their share of spending.

The local couple started at midnight on Thanksgiving. They shopped at Meijer for two hours, allowing them to take advantage of Thanksgiving Day sales. After returning to their Fort Wayne home for two hours of sleep, they drove to Kmart in Huntington to be there by 6 a.m. to retrieve some items from layaway.

Atchley, 39, and Gomez, 38, returned to Fort Wayne to shop at Walmart, two Radio Shacks and back to Meijer. They were hunting for electronics – and for sales.

“We have five teenagers to get for, so we have to accumulate” presents from various retailers, she said. “As the children get older, their toys get more expensive (and come) with accessories.”

The parents’ full list includes six children, ages 14, 14, 13, 13, 12 and 2.

The couple budget $30 to $40 from each paycheck, starting in September, for Christmas gifts. She is paid weekly. He is paid biweekly.

Almost twice as many people are comparison shopping this year compared with last – 70 percent to 38 percent, according to PriceGrabber.com, a comparison-shopping Web site.

The National Retail Federation, a Washington-based industry association, said member retailers are offering aggressive discounts to get shoppers’ dollars.

“Retailers came out swinging for Black Friday, offering some of the holiday season’s lowest prices on electronics, appliances, apparel and toys,” President and CEO Tracy Mullin said in a prepared statement. “Budget-focused shoppers seemed to be pleasantly surprised with post-Thanksgiving deals, which many retailers will extend into Saturday and even Sunday.”

Among the most popular items were high-definition TVs, laptops, winter coats and Zhu-Zhu pets, the federation said. Retailers in all sectors reported early-morning crowds, the non-profit organization said Friday afternoon.

Based on an earlier survey, the federation forecast about 134 million people would go shopping Friday, today or Sunday.

Two-thirds of Black Friday weekend shoppers confessed they planned to buy for themselves, according to a poll by Consumer Reports.

Three Homestead High School seniors took that strategy to heart.

Kaylee Will, Erica Wurst and Kaylee Bragalone were shopping in Meijer late Friday morning. Will and Wurst started their day at 6:15 in Glenbrook Square.

Bragalone joined them about 9:30.

The teens hit Macy’s, Glitter, American Eagle Outfitters, Icing, Pac Sun, H&M, Victoria’s Secret and Windsor. All sell clothing or accessories for young women.

“I bought tons of jewelry, all for me,” Will said.

But the Fort Wayne 17-year-old also bought for her boyfriend during the outing.

The three also did some shopping last week. That’s when Wurst bought her sister’s present. She wanted to buy it before everything was “picked over.”

Also, some retailers sent out coupons that expired before Thanksgiving, and she wanted to use them, Wurst said.

The girls were aware that Christmas is a full four weeks away, but Homestead’s semiformal dance is just one week away. That’s one reason they were focusing on dresses and accessories.

Like all of us, they have their priorities.

sslater@jg.net

The Associated Press contributed to this story.