“It’s like a haunted house,” she said. “But I think the point of that is to disorient you and scare you, so maybe this is the same tactic.”

The Polizzis have been shopping on Thanksgiving night for the last few years.

“Thanksgiving’s so low-key for us, so this is what we look forward to,” Jessica Polizzi said. “We have turkey, and then this is our evening activity.”

Also in line was Mohit Mundra, 37, of Hauppauge; but for Mr. Mundra, the shopping trip was nothing special.

“I was here for some general purchases,” said Mr. Mundra, who came with his wife and two daughters. “I just saw people outside who were in queue. Out of curiosity, I joined the queue.” — ARIELLE DOLLINGER

People may spend less this year than last.

The millions of deal-seeking shoppers who jam malls and store aisles over the next few days will be doing so in what is by most measures the best economy in a decade. The unemployment rate, at 4.1 percent, is at its lowest level since the Clinton administration.

But two questions loom over the holiday shopping season: How free will Americans be with their spending when wage growth remains anemic? And how much of that money will they spend in stores, given the continuing shift toward online shopping?

Over all, Americans appear confident in their economic prospects. The University of Michigan on Wednesday said consumer sentiment ticked down in November but remained close to its highest level since 2004. A separate survey conducted for The New York Times this month by the online polling firm SurveyMonkey likewise found that confidence was high and stable — neither survey has moved much in response to political turmoil in Washington or crises overseas.