Black Friday isn’t what it used to be, but many shoppers still carried out the tradition Friday to find deals and enjoy the camaraderie.

Macomb Mall in Roseville was crowded but not packed in the morning, though things got busier as the noon-hour passed.

Jeff Robinson of Warren, who bought clothing gifts at Old Navy, said he noticed a drop-off in the crowds from prior years.

“There’s not as many people out. It feels like a normal Saturday afternoon. The game has changed,” Robinson said.

He attributed the decline to a number of factors: Amazon, “laziness,” the economy and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Others said they found fewer deals than in years past when people would often stand in line for hours at a big box store or jam the malls.

Amy Baranski of Fraser, who was shopping with her daughter, Ella, who was home from college at University of Michigan, and her friend, Lila, called the deals offered Friday “underwhelming.” But she praised Macomb Mall operators for the improvements at the facility in recent years. The mall has gotten a makeover with new stores and new decor and furnishings.

“The renovations are amazing,” she said. “It was a great mall, then it went down, and now it’s great again.”

Christine Zabrzenski of Clinton Township, who was shopping with her daughter, Jenny Rose, an Oakland University student, echoed Baranski on the shopping.

“I don’t think the deals are the same as last year,” she said.

Smaller crowds made the shopping experience easier, less hectic than during Black Friday’s heyday, shoppers said.

“It’s actually less crowded and there’s less lines,” Zabrzenski said.

Still, some individual stores were packed, and people walked and talked amid a festive backdrop of colorful lights, a decorated Christmas tree and holiday keyboard sounds provided by musician Gerald Foster.

Old Navy was crowded with shoppers who were seeking $5 pajamas just before a noon deadline. Terrance Cline of Eastpointe procured outfits for he and his wife for their annual Christmas Eve pajama party.

Cline, who donned a Detroit Lions jacket and hat, said he and his brother, William Morton of Detroit, would next go to K&G Fashion Superstore to look for socks and underwear. They then planned to “walk around and see what we can get,” Cline said.

Other places offering deals were Under by Journeys, Ulta Beauty and H&M, among others.

Auntie Anne’s was a popular place for shoppers to stop for a snack. Many people walked the mall clutching a bagged pretzel and sipping on a strawed drink.

Lisa Spencer of Harper Woods and her teen daughter, Janya, not only enjoyed their pretzel but were happy with their shopping experience as they spent several hundred dollars at multiple stores to kick off their holiday shopping. Both of them said they got deals at Underground by Journeys, and Janya was pleased with deals she got at Pink. Mom also purchased gifts at Old Navy.

Lisa Spencer said Black Friday remains an annual tradition, although they started later, at 9 a.m. Friday instead of the usual 7 a.m. They first went to Big Lots in Eastpointe where Lisa bought kitchen items.

Phalyn Reign of St. Clair Shores took advantage of the opportunity to take her 15-month-old son, Roman, to see Santa Claus, accompanied by the boy’s grandmother, Marlo Petrolere of St. Clair Shores, and godmother Laura Parisi of Mount Clemens.

Roman at first was apprehensive and began to cry when he got close to the Jolly Old Elf. But in a quick moment, with some prodding, his attitude turned and he began to smile and giggle.

Carol Diehl of Clinton Township said she was making her first visit to the mall in decades, drawn by deal at Claire’s jewelry store to get a free ear piercing with the purchase of a $60 pair of earrings.

“I don’t like to shop; I can’t believe I’m out here today,” she said with a laugh, after checking the store directory for a possible return visit.

She said she spent most of her Black Fridays over the years working at Hudson’s and then Macy’s at Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights.

Nationally, shoppers will spend more this year than last year, but their pace will slow given all the economic uncertainty, according to the National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group. The group has forecast that U.S. holiday sales will rise 3% to 4% for November through December, compared with a 5.4% growth of a year ago. The pace is consistent with the average annual holiday increase of 3.6% from 2010 to pre-pandemic 2019. Americans ramped up spending during the pandemic, with more money in their pockets from federal relief checks and nowhere to go during lockdowns. For the holiday 2021 season, sales for the two-month period surged 12.7%.

Online discounts should be better than a year ago, particularly for toys, electronics and clothing, according to Adobe Analytics, which tracks online spending.

Online on Thanksgiving Day, sales rose 1% to about $7.5 billion year-over-year on Thanksgiving, as retailers offered better deals, according to Salesforce. Sales of shoes and handbags increased the most at 11% compared to last year, followed by a 6% rise in sales of healthy and beauty products. Salesforce said online discounts rates in the U.S. have risen to 28% this week, compared to 21% last year, with retailers offering the best deals on apparel and health and beauty products.

Analysts consider the five-day Black Friday weekend — which includes the Monday after the holiday known as Cyber Monday — a key barometer of shoppers’ willingness to spend. And Black Friday is expected to be once again the busiest shopping day of the year, according to Sensormatic Solutions, a firm that tracks store traffic.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.