New York, New York - The annual Black Friday kickoff to the holiday shopping season drew crowds on Friday as millions of Americans seized on the time-tested custom at physical stores and through e-commerce.

A preliminary retailer assessment of the big shopping day – which falls on the day after the Thanksgiving holiday – won't be available until next week.

But images from Boston, Houston, and elsewhere showed the event still attracted hordes of bargain hunters – even if it had lost some luster compared with yesteryear.

Consumers lured to the Big Apple for Black Friday were met with cool temperatures but a bright sun as stores of varying size and price point pulled out the stops.

There were few takers early Friday morning at Target's big-box store near Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, where shoppers seemed to be outnumbered by staff who were rearranging merchandise and affixing signs boasting of 40% discounts.

Foot traffic was heavier outside Macy's Manhattan flagship store, where window displays featured scenes from Barbie and Lego in which characters bobbed and weaved. Windows with interactive features drew the most interest, including one that beamed out the viewer's face in a giant star on Broadway.

"We were here because we were in the city already," said Michelle Stotts-Gillespie, after playing a game-like display on the 34th Street side of the giant department store.

More glitzy features awaited customers inside Macy's, the biggest department store in the country, with merchandise spread over 10 floors.

Some moved purposely towards choice brands, while others plunked themselves in the middle of the walkway, comparing prices in the store with those on their smartphones.

While Stotts-Gillespie, who lives in Florida, was thrilled by Thursday's Thanksgiving Day parade, she wasn't planning to shop the day after.

"In the past, Black Friday used be a big deal but now it's kind of not because they have all the sales beforehand," she said.