Faunce Corner Road was jam-packed with shoppers looking for Black Friday deals as officials directed traffic past full lots. Lanes turning into the mall from Faunce Corner and Route 6 were also packed, with occasional gridlock taking place.

Inside at major department stores, up to 20 people — including Carlos Arruda — stood in line at a time. For Arruda, Black Friday is an annual family tradition. Each year, he starts his Black Friday shopping at 4 a.m. with his wife and sister-in-law. By now, they have worked out a system.

“We grab flyers and go through them,” Arruda said. “That way, we already know what we want.”

By 10 a.m., the group had already picked up new sneakers, clothes, a knife set, video games and a Fit Bit, and stopped at JCPenney for pillows. The mall opened at 12 a.m. this year for shoppers.

Black Friday was not limited to the mall. Elsewhere in town, traffic snarled past the Best Buy and Target on Faunce Corner Road and Cross Road, respectively.