Black Friday

More retailers are jumping on the bandwagon of restoring Thanksgiving Day as a time for food, family, and football – not trips to the mall.

Last year, a few large retailers, such as Costco and BJ's Wholesale Club, were closed on the day before Black Friday.

As we reported early last month, Staples announced that it would be closed on Thanksgiving Day, as there appeared to be something of a consumer backlash building against Black Friday intruding into Thanksgiving.

Since then, a lot more retailers have also announced they would be closed on Thanksgiving. BestBlackFriday.com has published what it says is a confirmed list of retailers that have decided it's more profitable to spend Thanksgiving with family and friends.

The retailers include Crate and Barrel, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and T.J. Maxx. REI will not only be closed on Thanksgiving, but Black Friday as well – giving employees the day off with the advice to “spend it outdoors.”

By BestBlackFriday.com's count, at least 45 chains have so far decided to return to the tradition of being closed on Thanksgiving Day. After all, most have busy e-commerce sites, which can continue to take orders between the apple pie and kick-off.

Alienating consumers

Last November, retail marketing expert Arun Jain, a professor at the University at Buffalo (UB), warned that opening on Thanksgiving Day was risky.

“It’s a pity that in the richest country in the world, we cannot reserve even a single day for family, and there is a good chance it could backfire with consumer boycotts,” he said.

A better strategy, says Jain, would be opening early Black Friday morning – the way retailers did in the not-too-distant past – and offer spectacular doorbuster bargains. According to BestBlackFriday.com, it appears a lot of retailers have taken that advice.

Black Friday is now less than one month away and the latest shopping forecast suggests the stores will be full, despite research showing it's actually one of the worst days of the holiday season for shopping.

Accenture's annual consumer holiday shopping study finds that 53 percent of consumers surveyed said they expected to shop the day after Thanksgiving. But it's not that they like rising before dawn, waiting in the cold for the store to open, and then jostling with other consumers for bargains.

In fact, 52 percent said they would be content to spend Black Friday shopping online if they could find the kinds of deals they expect to find in brick and mortar stores. Of course, if they just wait three days for "Cyber Monday" they would find that online retailers do, in fact, offer large discounts on that shopping day.

Reversing a decline

According to Accenture's previous surveys, interest in Black Friday shopping has been on the decline over the last three years. In 2011, the survey showed that only 44 percent of respondents were interested in shopping on Black Friday, down from 47 percent in 2010 and 52 percent in 2009.

Over the years consumers have complained that big box retailers seem to change the rules at the last minute, opening the doors earlier than advertised. They also complain that many of the "door-buster" specials that drew them to the store in the first place were in such short supply the chances of purchasing the prized merchandise were slim.

Earlier this month the Wall Street Journal crunched the numbers and found what many long suspected. While a limited number of big screen TVs might be generously marked down, the kinds of things you routinely buy as gifts aren't. If you want a wristwatch or Barbie doll for example,you'll save more money by watching sale circulars throughout the year and sleeping in on Black Friday.

Better times to buy

And if you really want a flat-screen TV, Black Friday might not be the time to buy. The Journal found that these items get more expensive the closer you get to the holidays. The lowest prices on the widest selections of sets, it turns out, is in October.

But the Accenture study also suggests consumers will be careful, savvy shoppers this holiday season. Fifty-one percent says they have already made their shopping plans and will use cash they have set aside throughout the year, rather than run up credit card balances.

“The U.S. consumer refuses to be counted out and is entering this holiday season better prepared and more willing to open his or her wallet,” said Chris Donnelly, managing director of Accenture’s Retail practice. “Self-sacrificing will be down and spending will be slightly up, however, our research also shows that shoppers will remain disciplined in their spending.

Showrooming

"Showrooming" will also be a factor. That's when consumers shop for merchandise in a brick and mortar store, then use their smartphones to check prices elsewhere and online. The study shows 56 percent of shoppers expect to "showroom" this year and 27 percent of these same shoppers say they would likely make the purchase online, using their smartphone or tablet, while they are still out shopping.

“The research illustrates a shift in U.S. consumers’ approach to their holiday spending,” said Donnelly. “Many consumers are still struggling to balance their household budgets, at the same time that pay raises and bonuses remain in short supply, and they are realizing that this is not a short-term phenomenon. Consumers will remain resistant to the impulse purchase, and retailers will have to work harder to secure that extra spend by having a unique product, service or experience, and being clear on the value to the customer.”

If someone on your gift list wants a consumer electronics product, you should be shopping now, not waiting until Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Waiting may mean missing some of the best deals.

“Sales on electronics tend to peak from early to mid November,” said Loren Bendele, president of Savings.com, a coupon and deal site. “After November 14 the deals kind of go away for a while. So if you're looking for electronics, now is a great time to buy.”

Bendele's advice is based on his company's research, tracking sales and discounts all year long. He and other researchers have found that the shopping game has changed significantly in recent years as retailers have developed highly competitive online strategies.

Walmart starting sales now

An example is Walmart's announcement that it isn't waiting for Black Friday to start offering Black Friday deals. The nation's largest retailer says it will offer discounts typically reserved for Black Friday and Cyber Monday right now for consumers shopping online.

"We know that our customers start shopping for the holidays on Nov. 1 because historically our traffic spikes the day after Halloween," said Joel Anderson, president and CEO of Walmart.com. "Customers want to relax with friends and family during the holidays, and with our early deals we are helping them make the most of their time and helping them stretch their dollars further."

But Bendele sees it as a continued evolution in which the in-store sales of Black Friday – and now Thanksgiving night – are becoming less important.

Soured on the madness

“I think people have soured on the madness of Black Friday,” he said. “The getting up early, fighting the crowds and standing in line is less attractive. The main reason is they don't have to do it anymore. You can go online and get the same or better deals.”

Data backs that up. Last year in-store Black Friday sales dipped two percent. However, Black Friday online sales went up 26%. Research has also borne out the fact that, doorbuster deals aside, the in-store savings aren't that great on Black Friday.

While consumers have always lined up on Black Friday in hopes of getting the season's hot gift on sale, retailers began to fan the enthusiasm after the economic crash of 2008, when they had to compete for fewer holiday dollars. That year a Walmart employee was trampled to death at a Long Island store. Since then the deals have gotten bigger – even if the number of spectacularly marked-down items were limited in number.

Wising up

But in the last year or two, consumers have been wising up. Bendele says the best deals on toys tend to be during the first two weeks of December. The best prices on apparel tend to be in mid-December. There may be a good reason, however, to do some Black Friday shopping – if you aren't looking for a specific item.

“Black Friday and Cyber Monday are really a great time to find deals because the the sales are on specific products,” Bendele said. “If you aren't choosy about the make and model of a TV, for example, you'll find once significantly marked down. If you see a laptop that's on sale, you might say 'that's a really good price on a laptop. I might as well get that one.'”

By the same token, if you are looking for a specific make and model of a TV, or any other gift, you might do better waiting closer to the holidays, when merchants tend to mark everything down. And since there are fewer shopping days this holiday season, retailers may be more aggressive in their markdowns.

Enduring tradition

Some people go shopping on Black Friday, not so much for the deals, but for the communal experience -- to rub shoulders with fellow consumers embracing the search for gifts at bargain prices. Bendele says they needn't worry about Black Friday fading away.

“First, Black Friday has become a tradition and traditions don't usually go away,” he said. “Second, you have a lot of people who are procrastinators, who really can't get in the mood to shop for the holidays until Thanksgiving arrives. I think people still do that and will do that for a while.”

According to Valpak’s 2013 holiday research, Black Friday will be a force for at least another another year. In a survey more than three-in-five of consumers say they will shop on Black Friday this year. More than one-quarter of consumers in the survey say they would be willing to skip the Thanksgiving pumpkin pie and head to the store for an early deal on Black Friday.

Even though the nation's retailers have rolled out sales promotions all month long, most still expect a robust turnout for Black Friday, which increasingly starts on Thanksgiving day. But they might have to work harder for shoppers.

A survey conducted for the National Retail Federation (NRF) finds 61% of consumers may or will shop either Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. That equates to about 140 million consumers – roughly the same as last year.

Why no growth in the numbers? It may be because there have already been plenty of deals. It could also mean more bargain-conscious consumers are taking a wait-and-see approach.

“Consumers today want more than just the discounts they’ve been showered with since the start of the recession; they want exclusive offerings and a good reason to spend their discretionary budgets,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.

Major shift

In fact, Shay believes there could be a major shift this year as shoppers become more picky. The Internet gives consumers multiple tools to compare prices and the difference of just a couple of dollars – or the inclusion of free shopping – could influence a buying decision.

While there has been criticism of retailers launching their Black Friday promotions on Thanksgiving, there appear to be significant demographic differences in those attitudes. The survey suggests much of the criticism is confined to older generations.

Millennials, on the other hand, are much more willing to including shopping as part of their Thanksgiving Day activities. Nearly one-quarter of 18 to 24 year olds said they plan to shop on the holiday.

“For younger shoppers, shopping on Thanksgiving and Black Friday is as much a social experience as it is a buying mission,” said polling firm Prosper Insights & Analytics Principal Analyst Pam Goodfellow. “While these shoppers may not have the biggest holiday budgets or the longest shopping lists, they still enjoy the ‘tradition’ of heading out with friends and family on two of retail’s most exciting shopping days.”

Last year for old credit cards?

Shay, meanwhile, says this could be the last holiday shopping season in which consumers use the current magnetic strip credit and debit cards that are more prone to fraud. He says these cards haven't been updated since the 1960s, despite 21st-century cyber threats and criminals who use the Internet to steal money from half a world away.

“The good news is that the card industry plans to roll out new cards in 2015 that will replace the easy-to-copy magnetic stripe with a sophisticated computer microchip that is far more difficult to counterfeit,” Shay writes in an op-ed. “Chip-based EMV cards are used in 80 countries and have reduced fraud as much as 75%.”

However, Shay also notes that U.S. banks don’t plan to replace the signature with a personal identification number the way banks have in the rest of the world. Rather than “chip-and-PIN,” U.S. banks are calling their new cards “chip and choice.”

Retailers are expressing disappointment. Shay says the PIN is a critical element of fraud reduction and that where it has been implemented, it has worked. He says the chip ensures that the card is real, but the PIN is needed to prove that the person trying to use it is the legitimate cardholder.

“In today’s world of high-tech criminal hacking, an easily forged, illegible scrawl at the bottom of a receipt is no longer good enough,” Shay says.

Many consumers who rise before dawn on Black Friday and stand in the cold waiting for a store to open often complain that it wasn't worth it – they didn't get the item they wanted or it cost more than they thought.

Their experience is not all that uncommon, it turns out. According to a new study by ShopAdvisor, a shopping service, Black Friday was among the worst sales days of the 2011 shopping season.

Higher prices on Black Friday

The study tracked the prices of 252 toys from the first day of autumn and found that in the 54 days from Nov. 1 through Dec. 24, the day with the lowest percentage -- 46 percent -- of products on sale below their initial holiday season price was Black Friday, Nov. 25. The day with the highest percentage -- 59 percent -- of products on sale was Sunday, Nov. 13. After Thanksgiving, Thursday, Dec. 1 was the day with the next largest percentage of products on sale.

As a matter of fact, Black Friday turned out to be the day on which shoppers begin to see prices spike on select items. On Black Friday itself, 24 percent of the toys on ShopAdvisor's list were priced above their initial holiday season price.

Waiting too late is costly, too

After Black Friday, the day with the most toys selling at a premium price was Dec. 23, two days before Christmas.

"Our experience tracking more than a hundred million products shows that although Black Friday may be a good day for shopping, there are 'blacker' days to be found during the holiday shopping season," said Scott Cooper, CEO of ShopAdvisor.

ShopAdvisor drew up its list of toys by monitoring the choices of its more than 6.5 million users who add products to their ShopAdvisor Watchlist and receive email and mobile notifications when prices drop or out-of-stock products become available. The company says prices will fluctuate during the season, probably more than most consumers realize.

The most vigilant shoppers will watch for sudden price drops and avoid price spikes that often last only a day or two before plunging back down to their original price or lower.

Volatile prices

For example, National Products' 6 Volt Pink Hummer H2 started the holiday season selling for $186. For two days it dropped as low as $132. On Thanksgiving Day it spiked to $227, fell to $190 on Black Friday, and then spiked back to $227 eight more times before Christmas day.

In between those spikes, a savvy shopper could find it for $160 on six different days.

Hasbro's popular Sesame Street Let's Rock Elmo was a bargain for almost the entire season, selling below its initial holiday season price of $59 on 60 of the next 65 days. The only question for shoppers was how long to hold out. Those who waited until Sunday, Dec, 18 got a 49 percent discount, paying only $29.

Best day?

If you hit the snooze bar on Black Friday, then when should you shop for the best deals? It will probably vary store to store, but ShopAdvisor says steep discounts of 30 percent or more began to show up the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

For example, the $117 LEGO Ninjago Fire Temple dropped 38 percent to $72 for three days from Nov. 18-20.

The more risk you're willing to take on, the longer you should wait to shop. If shoppers are willing to wait, or procrastinate, they can count on steep discounts in the two weeks before Christmas. Last year, every day, starting Dec. 11, at least one in ten toys were available for 30 percent or more under their original prices.

And here's another piece of holiday shopping advice: avoid day-after-Christmas shopping; wait until Dec. 29. If the toy you are giving does not have to be under the tree on Christmas day, it pays to wait until Dec. 29 when 17 percent of all the toys in the ShopAdvisor Watchlist were available for 30 percent less than their pre-Black Friday prices.

In the distant past – 2007, for instance – Black Friday and Cyber Monday were their own standalone holiday shopping events.

People lined up in front of department stores in the early morning hours the day after Thanksgiving for door-buster specials.

Then the following Monday they would go to work and, while the boss wasn't looking, go online to shop for bargains on electronic gadgets.

Ah, the quaint days of yesteryear.

Blurred lines

Now, November has become one long triathlon for competitive retailers and bargain-hungry consumers. The lines between Black Friday and Cyber Monday have blurred into one long weekend of sales promotions.

Eric Jones of Jones-Dengler Marketing, operator of the BestBlackFriday.com website, says most retailers shifted gears from Black Friday to Cyber Monday over the weekend without skipping a beat.

“In other words, there is really no difference,” Jones told ConsumerAffairs. “Stores are continuing the same online sales with slightly different products but the same theme and just renaming each one.”

In fact, he says his company's Black Friday website had more traffic on Thanksgiving than Black Friday itself while his Cyber Monday website surpassed the Black Friday website in traffic over the weekend.

Cyber Monday started Saturday

Meanwhile, major online retailers like Best Buy and Amazon.com started their Cyber Monday sales promotions on Saturday.

Amazon, which pioneered Cyber Monday marketing, is stretching the event into 8 days, running into next weekend. While the earliest Cyber Monday shopping events focused mostly on electronics, Amazon and other retailers are pushing discounts on toys, housewares, apparel and other gift categories.

In announcing its early bargains, Amazon said it will be selling a Sony 40-inch 1080p LED TV for $298; an LG 49-inch Smart 4K Ultra HD LED TV for $999 with 15% back in rewards; and an Acer Chromebook at $149.

Over the weekend the Amazon Appstore offered sale prices on popular apps and games.

It works

Why have retailers stepped up the selling pressure? In short, because they have found that it pays off. Giving consumers more opportunities to shop for bargains usually means they will shop and buy more. And that may be especially true this year.

Since 2009 retailers have had to compete for a shrinking consumer dollar, as the financial crisis and Great Recession meant consumers were much more bargain-conscious. Consumers continue to look for deals – and have many more technology tools to help them find them – but this year they have a little more money in their pockets, thanks to falling gasoline prices.

But the fear that their competitor will get to the customer first has sparked the earlier, and more intense holiday sales promotions, all of which threaten to take the wind out of the sails of these traditional holiday shopping days.

Preliminary figures suggest foot traffic was down at brick and mortar locations on Black Friday. That may be because more purchases were made online -- and not by people sitting at their computers at home.

Branding Brand, a mobile commerce platform provider, reports just over one-third of online purchases on Black Friday were made from mobile devices, up 48% over last year.

As more purchases move to online sales and start earlier and last longer, Cyber Monday may turn out to be just another shopping day.

On Friday, Nov. 23, millions of consumers will flock to stores to take part in the Black Friday shopping experience. They are drawn by the promise of bargains and the thrill of mixing it up with throngs of fellow shoppers.

Unfortunately, the bargains are not always plentiful. While stores promote deep savings on a handful of highly desirable items, the prices of everything else are not much different from a normal shopping day. Edgar Dworsky, founder of ConsumerWorld.org, suggests going home with a Black Friday deal will require some advance planning.

“Black Friday now starts on Thursday,” Dworsky said. “And for the first time, some stores are staggering their doorbusters, releasing different ones at different times. For Walmart, it is at 8pm and 10pm on Thursday and 5am Friday, while at Sears it is at 8pm and 4am. “If you don’t read their circulars carefully, you may show up at the store either hours early or hours late.”

Here are Dworsky's top 10 ways to get a Black Friday bargain:

1. Read the ads: Preview the Black Friday sale circulars before hitting the stores. Not only will they appear in local papers next week, many ad slicks are now online at numerous Black Friday shopping sites. Make sure there is a bargain worth getting up in the middle of the night for.
2. Evaluate the deals: Not all Black Friday advertised items are great deals. Others will become available the weekend before Thanksgiving, on Cyber Monday, or in mid-December. Compare the ads to what the item is selling for online. For example, Amazon.com has been offering Black Friday deals throughout November.
3. Research the Right Product: A low price on a lousy product is no bargain. Check Websites like ConsumerAffairs for consumer reviews. Some publications feature reviews by professionals.
4. Use coupons: To save the most, combine the primary ways to save: buy items at a good sale price, use percent-off/dollars-off coupons offered by some stores to lower that price even more, and look for items that also have a cash back rebate. Keep in mind some Black Friday sale items may not accept coupons. If that's the case the ads should say so.
5. Be an Early Bird: That may mean heading out on Thanksgiving night if you are shopping at Walmart, Sears, Kmart, Kohls, Macy's and Toys“R”Us. Just keep in mind the employees waiting on you will not be the happiest people in the world, having been dragged away from family celebrations by their bosses.
6. Beat the Early Birds: In some cases you may be able to start shopping before everyone else. Sears is letting its reward club members buy some doorbusters starting on Sunday, November 18. To plan for the real Black Friday, scope-out key retailers on Wednesday before Thanksgiving to learn each store’s floor plan in advance. Avoid the crowds by ordering online since some Black Friday deals may be available on Thanksgiving Day or early Friday. Be warned, however, that stores are not generally good about indicating which items will also be available online.
7. Check the Return Policy: Before buying, find out the store's return policy. While many stores have extended their return deadlines into January, others are clamping down by imposing restocking fees on certain categories of items, or by using a blacklisting database or returns tracking system to deny refunds to returns abusers.
8. Get a Gift Receipt: Make returns easier for gift recipients by asking the store for a gift receipt and include it in the gift box. Without a receipt, a refund may be denied outright, or may be limited to only an equal exchange, or to a merchandise credit for the lowest price the item has sold for in the recent past.
9. Use the Right Credit Card: Certain credit cards offer valuable free benefits. For example, don't be pressured into buying a service contract when you can get up to an extra year of warranty coverage free just by using most gold or platinum credit cards. Ask your credit card issuer what length warranties qualify for an extra year of coverage, if any. Some credit cards also offer a return protection guarantee.
10. Save More with Price-Match Guarantees: Keep checking the prices of the items you buy. Since many stores offer a price protection guarantee, you may be entitled to get back some additional money if the seller or a competitor offers a lower price before Christmas.

As more and more stores are joining Black Thursday it seems that even more people are also starting to voice their opposition.

Target’s employees, customers and shareholders have joined a petition that already has over 200,000 signatures and many are protesting the fact that Target’s workers have to leave their families early on Thanksgiving Day to handle the crowds of shoppers that are likely to visit stores.

Target recently announced it was opening on Thanksgiving this year in addition to Black Friday.

Other retailers like Walmart and Toys "R" Us have also joined the Black Thursday trend, where doors open almost a day earlier than they normally would, and many believe stores are putting profit over people and forcing employees to cater to those customers who prefer not to wait until Black Friday to do their shopping.

Consumers don't seem wild about the idea. A sentiment analysis of nearly 9,000 social media postings over the last year finds consumers holding mostly extreme opinions, i.e., they either really like the idea or really hate it.

 These wide fluctations may, of course, be due to the relatively small sample size. 

More shopping days

Rojeh Avanesian, who is the Vice President of Marketing and Analytics at PriceGrabber--a company that deals with retail cost comparison--says Black Thursday is beneficial to those customers who are looking to maximize the number of days they are able to shop and take advantage of deals.

“Black Thursday gives shoppers an opportunity to take advantage of deep discounts for a longer period of time,” he said in a ConsumerAffairs interview.

“Some retailers are offering additional sales to promote the extended hours and really push to get consumers in the door during Thanksgiving weekend. Since shoppers were preoccupied with the election, consumers will hit Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend hard with holiday shopping.”  

Avanesian also says the inclusion of Black Thursday should push holiday sales over the top this year compared to 2011.

“According to our survey, more than 60 percent of consumers are planning to spend about the same or slightly more money this holiday season than in 2011,” he explained. “Over half of the consumers we surveyed said that they plan to spend over $500 or more.”

Widespread dislike

A handful of recently released surveys show that a large number of people will avoid shopping on Black Thursday, which could indicate a widespread dislike for the controversial shopping day.

These survey results could also show that many consumers are in no rush to deal with the legions of people, the busy stores and the long lines. But experts say there are still some people who are solely focused on good deals, and if consumers believe there is a way to save a dollar or two-- they are willing to get up from the Thanksgiving table and head to a store that’s open for business.

According to a PriceGrabber survey, about nine percent of consumers plan to head to the stores on Black Thursday, which is a small number of people compared to those who still see Black Friday as the best day to shop and get deals.

“Consumers are largely focused on one major theme this holiday season—deals, deals, and more deals,” said Avanesian.

“Our survey results indicate that 71 percent of consumers believe the best deals can be found on Black Friday, and in order to capitalize on retailer incentives that day, 64 percent of shoppers are planning to take advantage of Black Friday extended store hours this year.”

Family shopping adventure

But some store executives are sticking to their point that Black Thursday was created with the customer’s shopping interests in mind. There was even a Target vice president that said Black Thursday was a way that households can participate in a family shopping outing after dinner is finished.

“We heard from our guests that they look forward to kicking off their holiday shopping with deal hunting on Thanksgiving night,” said Target’s Vice President Kathee Tesija in a statement. “Opening at 9 p.m. gives Target’s Black Friday guests a more convenient way to create an after dinner shopping event that the entire family can enjoy.”

However, many consumers would probably disagree with this logic, because anyone who believes that entire families are dying to leave the coziness of Thanksgiving dinner to pile into a car for late night shopping, has probably been in the retail business a little too long.

But some retailers are using exclusive deals to attract shoppers to leave their homes on Thanksgiving night and many  believe this sales tactic just might work.

Walmart is offering an Emerson 32-inch television set for $148, an Apple iPad 2 for $399 and a Blu-ray player from LG for $38 for those consumers who are in the store between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. Thanksgiving night.

It will be interesting to see if consumers take this type of bait and head to stores on Thanksgiving or if they’ll exercise a little patience and just visit retailers on the following Friday and over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Of course 2012 isn’t the year that Black Thursday was invented, as many retailers have opened their doors on Thanksgiving in the past, but Avanesian said that most consumers still see Black Friday as the official start of the holiday shopping season--and according to PriceGrabber’s research-- consumers will spend more this Black Friday than last year.

“We expect Black Friday sales to increase slightly this year compared to 2011,” he says. “We predict sales will fall in-line with the industry projections of an approximate 4 percent increase. “Black Friday sales are also a good indication for how the rest of the holiday season will shape up.”

“According to our survey, more than 60 percent of consumers are planning to spend about the same or slightly more money this holiday season than in 2011. Over half of the consumers were surveyed said that they plan to spend over $500 or more,” said Avanesian.

Thanksgiving week has arrived and dedicated Black Friday shoppers are gearing up for the big shopping day, that for the most part begins the night before. There's no data to back this up but it's very likely that holiday meal plans have been changed this year so as not to interfere with early store openings.

What's left is to make final preparations to hit the stores and search for bargains. Here are some suggestions for making your outing more successful and less stressful:

Four suggestions

• Make a list and check it twice – Write down the names of everyone you are shopping for and, if possible, potential gift ideas for each one. It will help you focus attention on spotting bargains and keep you from the frustration of forgetting someone as you fight the crowds.
• Know where the deals are – More retailers are playing the game by announcing their Black Friday offers well in advance. If you haven't done so by now, check the multitude of sites that publish up-to-the minute Black Friday ads from major retailers. You'll find them simply by Googling “Black Friday.” Also, know when the stories are opening. There's no need to camp out but you don't want to be the last shopper through the door either.
• Think local – Yes, big box retailers get all the attention and most of the sales on Black Friday but local merchants also are offering deals, even if they don't have the big advertising budgets to promote them. But the Internet can clue you in. Web sites like LivingSocial and Groupon can connect you with deals from your nearby merchants.
• Boost your savings – Loyalty programs and gift cards can help you get more value from your Black Friday shopping -- sometimes in surprising ways. A regional convenience store operator, for example, is offering fuel rebates of up to $1 a gallon on gasoline for customers using its loyalty card.

If someone on your list wants a PlayStation 4, Thankshopping.com is promising to report this week on the best place to buy the game console. The site says it will post prices and retailers for the game on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

The Playstation 4 is Sony's latest generation game console released just in time for the holidays. It starts at around $579 with reviewers praising its improved graphics, interface and controller.

Find deals without leaving home

As we have pointed out previously, it isn't necessary to trek to the mall and fight the crowds in order to get a great Black Friday deal. Many retailers have been promoting “door-buster” deals all month on their websites. And there will be plenty more deals online on Black Friday for shoppers who prefer to stay home and shop from their computer.

The Craft Star, a QVC-TV style website that sells craft and homemade items, is promising a number of deals on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The owners of the site say anyone can enter to win free holiday gift products, with the giveaways beginning at 4 am Eastern time on Black Friday. On Cyber Monday, December 2, a giveaway valued at $20 will be featured every hour on the hour from 6 a.m. EST until 6 p.m. EST.

In addition, most major retailers plan online promotions throughout the day on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Hype something long enough and people get tired of it. Example: Black Friday. There's increasing evidence everybody's sick of hearing about it, most significantly a new poll conducted for Consumer Reports that found 56 percent of Americans plan to do no shopping at all this weekend.

On the other hand, 44 percent say they will do some shopping, which is up from the 30 percent who shopped for gifts during last year's Black Friday weekend. While on the surface, this might indicate more shoppers heading for the stores, it's worth noting that intention doesn't equal performance -- the actual turnout may well be lower than last year given the strong negative feelings the poll found. 

Among the top reasons Americans gave for wanting no part of shopping during Black Friday weekend were:

• Too many crowds (70 percent)

• The deals are too overhyped (34 percent)

• I'd rather do something else (33 percent)

• I don't want to get up early (30 percent)

Of those who do intend to shop this weekend, 69 percent will be venturing out to stores, while 58 percent will do so online, and 29 percent will shop both in-stores and online. Among the top reasons people gave for why they’ll be shopping on Black Friday weekend were:

• Black Friday specials are the best deals of the year (55 percent)

• The door-buster deals (43 percent)

• It’s tradition (23 percent)

• I enjoy the energy of  the holiday shopping season (19 percent)

“Those who intend to go out shopping on Black Friday probably know what to expect, and to them that’s part of the allure,” said Tod Marks, Consumer Reports senior editor and resident shopping expert. “However, it's easy to get caught up in the shopping frenzy and spend more than you really want to. That’s why it’s important to do your homework beforehand, have a plan and stick to it.”

Additional results of the Consumer Reports Poll are available at ConsumerReports.org.

Maybe one reason Black Friday sales were a bit disappointing to retailers is consumers appear to be in no rush to wrap up their holiday shopping. American Express predicts the vast majority of shoppers plan to be in stores right up until Christmas, and even the day after.

With sales starting in early November savvy consumers are betting the deals will only get better as the big day draws closer. American Express says it's a definite shift from previous years.

“This year’s holiday shopping season does not seem to have a clear-cut beginning, middle or end,” said David Rabkin, Senior Vice President of Consumer Lending Products at American Express. “Americans are spending steadily over a longer period of time, willing to hold out for better deals, even planning to hit the stores even after Christmas to get the gifts they want at the right price.”

More last-minute shoppers

In American Express' survey, 79% of consumers said they plan to do last minute shopping, up from 75% last year. Average projected spending on the day after Christmas, known as Boxing Day in the UK, is $192, up from $188 in 2013.

Regifting is also becoming more common. About 75% now say giving an unwanted gift to someone else is socially acceptable, with kitchenware the most likely gift to be repurposed. So if you give someone on your list a set of steak knives, it's likely to end up as someone else's birthday present.

Electronics are the least likely items to be regifted. After all, who doesn't like a new gadget?

Returns

While re-gifting is getting more popular, plenty of people will be lining up at customer service to return or exchange a gift. Among shoppers who plan to return and/or exchange gifts the day after Christmas, 95% say they plan to spend the same or more at the store that day.

And returning a gift is not nearly the social faux pas it once was. Nearly half of consumers say they have no qualms about telling the person who gave them the gift that they returned it.

Despite lower gasoline prices and an improving economy, this holiday season is not shaping up as one of over-indulgence. In fact, more shoppers – 70% – insist they are sticking to their budgets this year.

Higher holiday costs

Tempering the urge to splurge are some unexpected higher holiday season costs. Shipping costs are up this year, as are holiday decorations and wrapping paper. And even though oil prices have plunged, holiday air travel hasn't gotten any cheaper.

While consumers have done a good job of trimming their gift lists this year, more consumers have shopped for an additional person – themselves. American Express projects 74% of consumers will have bought themselves a gift this year, up from 53% last year. Not surprisingly, more than half those purchases will be impulse buys.

Feeding the trend

Retailers are feeding the trend for ongoing bargain hunting by continuing promotions that typically end with Cyber Monday. Walmart.com this week launched Cyber Monday 2.0, offering deals on electronics, toys and games, appliances and jewelry. There's free shipping on orders over $50.

Other retailers are slashing prices with more than a week to go before Christmas. According to BlackFriday.com, Amazon.com this week marked down the popular video game Assassin's Creed for Playstation 4 from $59.99 to $29.99.

Electronic gadgets make up a big chunk of the average Christmas shopping list. Whether it's a new smartphone or a big screen TV, consumers seem to like gifts that they plug in.

The editors at Best Black Friday, who have worked with us in the run-up to the holiday season to identify some of the best buys, have submitted their picks for the best deals on electronics.

If an HDTV happens to be on your list, you are likely to find record low prices for select models and sizes, as well as video game bundles.

“While stores such as Walmart have taken steps back in certain areas, their overall sale is strong once again,” the website reports. “After waiting every other retailer out, Amazon finally gave us a preview of their upcoming sale, and while it is vague, a few of their items have made our Top 20 list.”

The list breaks down into these categories:

HDTVs

• Toshiba 49" 1080p LED HDTV for $149.99 at Best Buy
• 50" 1080p LED TV for $149.99 at Amazon
• 32" LED TV for $75 at Amazon
• TCL Roku 32″ 720p LED Smart HDTV for $125 at Walmart and Amazon
• TCL Roku 55″ 1080p Smart LED HDTV for $348 at Walmart and Amazon
• Samsung 60″ 1080p LED Smart HDTV for $697.99 at Target and Best Buy
• Samsung 40″ 1080p LED Smart HDTV + $90 Kohl’s Cash for $319.99 at Kohl’s
• Samsung 40" inch HDTV + Xbox One Bundle for $499.98 at Best Buy

Tablets

• iPad Air 2 (64GB and 128GB) for $150 Off at Sam’s Club
• iPad Mini 4 64GB and 128GB (Best Buy) and 16GB (Staples) for $100 Off
• iPad Air 2 16GB for $359.99 at eBay

Video Games

• Xbox One Gears of War Bundle + Fallout 4 & Extra Controller for $299.99 at Dell
• Xbox One and PS4 Bundles for $299.99 + $75 Kohl’s Cash at Kohl’s
• Xbox One Bundle + Samsung 40-inch HDTV for $499.98 at Best Buy

Smartphones

• iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus – $250 Gift Card for Unsubsidized Purchases and $50 Off for 2-Year Subsidized Plans at Target
• $250 Savings on any Samsung smartphone ($150 savings + $100 Black Friday Gift Card) at Walmart

Computers

• 13.3″ MacBook Pro or 21.5″ iMac for $899.99 at Best Buy
• Toshiba Satellite CL45 14″ Laptop for $119.99 at Office Depot and OfficeMax
• Bonus Deal! – ASUS 15″ Laptop for $129 at Amazon

Other Electronics

• Save Up To $100 On Apple Watches at Best Buy
• Beats Studio Headphones for $169 at Walmart
• Canon EOS Rebel T5 digital SLR camera 18-55mm lens and 75-300mm lens with a bag for $399.99 at Kohl’s

While buying a non-sale item on Black Friday will cost you, the BestBlackFriday.com editors say missing a Black Friday doorbuster exacts a price as well.

Last year the site followed the prices for hundreds of the top Black Friday electronics for a few months into April to see how much their prices went up. It found the average doorbuster electronic price goes up by $48.43 after Black Friday. HDTVs increase by $63.79, and video game consoles increase by $50.85.

Anytime crowds head to stores in record number, anything can happen. Black Friday has its share of mayhem and mishaps.

The website SheBudgets.com has collected a number of interesting facts about the busiest shopping day of the year, and among them – you almost have as much chance of being killed at a Black Friday event as being fatally attacked by a shark.

In the last five years, the site says, Black Friday has been blamed for seven deaths and 98 injuries. Sharks, on the other hand, kill five and injure 100 people a year. While sharks kill more people, those attacks occur over 365 days – Black Friday is just one day.

Origin of the name

How did Black Friday get its name? It has always been accepted fact that the name derives from the fact that most retailers reach the breakeven point by Thanksgiving. After that, everything they make is profit.

Not so, says SheBudgets. The site claims Philadelphia Police came up with the name in the 1950s because of the horrendous traffic caused by all the shoppers flocking to stores.

A lot of celebration goes on around Thanksgiving, and it apparently continues into Black Friday. The shopping site RetailMeNot claims 12% of Black Friday shoppers show up drunk. Come to think of it, that could explain a lot of the mayhem and mishaps.

Quality issues

SheBudgets makes an interesting claim when it says stores tend to roll out low quality items to entice shoppers. That might have been the case in the past but may not be now.

Still, we reported several years ago that consumers who purchased flat screen TVs on Black Friday seemed to have a lot of problems with them.

Finally, Black Friday is not only the busiest day of the year for retailers, it's also the busiest day for plumbers. Most likely it has something to do with the clean-up from the Thanksgiving feast. Too many food scraps down the drain, maybe?

SheBudgets also notes that 79% of Americans will do at least some of their Black Friday weekend shopping online, certainly easier and safer. Still, millions will hit the mall.

So stay sober, and stay safe.

For consumers planning to get up early and hit the stores on Black Friday, here's a way to plan your morning. A shopping website, BestBlackFriday.com has published leaked Black Friday ad slicks from five major retailers, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Sears, and Kmart.

Best Buy

According to the ad for Best Buy, the electronics retailer will open at 5:00 p.m. Thanksgiving Day and offer a Samsung 55-inch 2160p 4K HD smart TV for $479.99, marked down by $320. A Toshiba 49-inch 2160p set will go for $199.99.

The Dell Inspiron 15.6-inch touchscreen laptop will have a sale price of $349.99, $150 lower than its regular price. The seven-inch, 8GB Kindle Fire has a sale price of $33.33. You can save $125 on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

Walmart

Walmart will open at 6:00 p.m. Thursday. The Walmart ad shows the iPhone 5 on Straight Talk Wireless selling for $99. A Philips 55-inch 4K LED TV has been marked down to $298.

For gamers, the Playstation 4 Slim 500GB bundle is $249, and includes a $30 gift card. The Samsung 4K Blue-ray disc player is $39.

Target

The ad for Target's Black Friday Preview Sale, starting Thanksgiving Day, promotes a Fitbit Charge HR for $89.95, marked down from $129.95.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Target is offering the Jetson V6 hoverboard with Bluetooth speakers for $284.99. In the toy department, the Badgor Basket wooden doll house, with 15-piece furniture set, goes for $69.

Sears

Sears will open at 6:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Its ad touts a Kenmore washer-dryer combo for $279.99 each and a 25.6 cubic inch, two-door stainless steel refrigerator for $999.

The Craftsman 41-inch, 12-drawer ball bearing tool chest is marked down to $349.98. A Serta Posturepedic queen sized mattress and box spring set has been marked down to $349.

Kmart

Kmart will open at 7:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving and its ad shows a Bell & Howell dashcam with 8 GB micro SD card for $15. It's 10-inch Frozen or Spiderman bike, regularly $49.99, has been marked down to $19.