SPANISH FORT, Ala. — Sloppy weather couldn’t stop them.

Neither could a 1:30 p.m. Iron Bowl kickoff.

Black Friday bargain-hunters across the Eastern Shore ignored the dreary weather to get a jump on holiday shopping, and local retailers are hopeful the uptick in post-Thanksgiving traffic is a sign of an economic recovery in the making.

“Our fall season has been great so far, so we definitely expected an increase over last year; however, our sales on Black Friday far exceeded our expectations,” said Denise Knox, owner of Private Gallery in the Eastern Shore Centre.

“We are so thankful for our customers’ continued support. It’s going to be a great holiday season,” Knox said.

Julie Cox of Daphne said she certainly did her part, hitting Bass Pro Shops early for some hunting accessories, clothing deals and a few stocking-stuffers for the outdoorsmen on her list.

“I’m really careful about what I spend, but we’ll still probably double what we spent last year because we’ve got two more grandbabies and a new son-in-law this year,” Cox said.

Kristen Kammer-Hattox, marketing director for the Eastern Shore Centre, said Friday’s soggy conditions didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirit of giving, with lines forming well before the majority of stores opened at 8 a.m.

Hayes and Brandi Lister, owners of Tatoe’s Toys and Boutique, said heavy marketing promoting a four-hour doorbuster sale turned out to be a sound investment.

“It helped our sales almost double from last year. It was exciting to see people lined up at our door at 7 a.m.,” Brandi Lister said.

Kammer-Hattox admitted the annual gridiron square-off between cross-state rivals Alabama and Auburn is worrisome for a lot of area retailers, but a few have found a way to spin it to their advantage.

“There is always a little apprehension that the Iron Bowl will pull people away, and we were lucky our restaurants had it on for those who wanted to kick back and watch the game,” she said.

Meanwhile, Will Sanders, director of Premiere Cinema 14, said the holiday shopping season — bolstered this year by the release of both the latest Harry Potter installment and the whimsical “Tangled” — typically provides an array of family-friendly flicks that can keep younger shoppers occupied while Santa’s elves get down to business.

“The holidays are always a great time to come to the movies with the family. Guests bring their out-of-town family with them so there is always a big turnout,” Sanders said.

The National Retail Federation reported Monday that the number of people shopping both in stores and online between Thanksgiving day and the following Sunday increased 8.7 percent. In all, en estimated 212 million shoppers spent $45 billion, meaning average spending increased 6.4 percent during the four-day period to $365.34.

“While Black Friday weekend is not always an indicator of holiday season performance, retailers should be encouraged that a focus on value and discretionary gifts has shoppers in the spirit to spend,” said Matthew Shay, the federation’s president and CEO. “As retailers look ahead to the first few weeks of December, it will be important for them to keep momentum going with savings and incentives that holiday shoppers simply can’t pass up.”