Hot Hamster Toy Prompts Indy Black Friday Squabble

INDIANAPOLIS -- A scuffle over this year's hottest holiday toy brought police to an Indianapolis store to calm Black Friday shoppers.

Indianapolis police Sgt. Paul Thompson said officers were called to the Toys "R" Us store in Castleton early Friday morning as shoppers jockeyed for position outside the store.

The Indianapolis Star reported that fighting broke out at about midnight as people lined up in the parking lot looking to buy the robotic hamsters known as Zhu Zhu Pets.

Store manager B.J. Chavez said the hamsters are the hottest toys this season and the store generally sells out within 10 minutes. The store opened at midnight, though door buster deals weren't made available until 5 a.m.

"It did get a little out of hand for a few minutes as people who did form a nice orderly line were getting interrupted by people who did try to rush the line," Chavez said. "We had to go out and get control of the crowd and had to call in reinforcements."

Thompson said police also were called to a Toys "R" Us store near the southside suburb of Greenwood for crowd control.

Both stores sold out of the robotic toys.

Other customers braved chilly temperatures for a chance to score some big deals on Black Friday.

Some stores opened at midnight, while others began taking customers at 3, 4 or 5 a.m.

Video: Some Get Jump On Deals

Lines snaked around stores as bargain hunters clogged retailers in search of the best deal on numerous items, ranging from the always popular electronics to toys and household items.

Because many stores have cut back on inventory in a languishing economy, shoppers felt an extra sense of urgency to get what they could while they could.

Retailers expect the shopping season will bring in about the same amount of cash as last year, which was down significantly from the previous year.

Some shoppers chose to forego the crowds and shop online. Many retailers offered their best deals on their Web sites, including door busters.

With free shipping options available, some felt it best to just let their keyboards do the work while they lounge at home. Others used online information as a shopping tool.

"I shop a lot online. That's how I find the deals before I go out to the stores," said Amy Lawson.

Several retailers, such as Meijer and Kmart, were open on Thanksgiving, with a number of deals to attract shoppers.

Some shoppers were just buying that day, instead of tackling the Black Friday events. Others were loading up on both days.

"I'll be at Walmart and Kohl's at 5 o'clock," said Christie Mulder, who shopped on Thanksgiving, too.