When it comes to Thanksgiving, people across the nation have turned shopping into as much of a holiday tradition as turkey and stuffing.

Every year, thousands of people pour into stores on the day after Thanksgiving, a day dubbed “Black Friday,” in search of the best deals despite fighting crowds, staying up all night and enduring frigid temperatures.

By the time families have peeked through Black Friday advertisements and circled the best deals, however, retailers have spent weeks making preparations for the biggest shopping day of the year.

Jonathan Collins, general manager at Best Buy, has worked Black Friday for the past nine years, including his time at the stores in Mooresville and Charlotte.

Compared to bigger cities, he said Black Friday in Waynesville is much more calm.

“In ...