Shoppers might have to work a little harder this year to scoop up the best bargains on Black Friday, the traditional post-Turkey Day shopping kickoff.
Retailers aren't slashing 75% off everything in the store, as they did last year when the deteriorating economy caught them with too much inventory. Rather, they are offering truly hot deals on only a handful of items, such as a $149 laptop computer (OfficeMax), a 32-inch LCD TV for $246 (Target) and a $579 washer-dryer combo (Sears).
Other sale items will require coupons or rebates to make them worth your while, retail observers say.
"This year retailers aren't in dramatic panic mode," says Marshal Cohen, the chief industry analyst with research company NPD Group. "There are going to be sales, but the (discounts) aren't going to be as deep and plentiful."
With unemployment high and shoppers expected to spend 3.2% less than last year, according to the National Retail Federation, most retailers can't afford not to discount at least a handful of their items heavily, just to get people into their stores.
But for shoppers, the smaller selection of bargains might necessitate a few more stops on the shopping route.
Here is MSN Money's guide to snagging the best deals on this big shopping day.
Do your research
Most Black Friday circulars have already been leaked to deal sites such as FatWallet.com, Dealnews, BFAds and Slickdeals. On most of these sites, you'll find a list of the items in the circular, as well as discussions about how the prices compare and, in some cases, how the products perform.We've also rounded up some of the best deals in these ads for you on our Smart Spending blog:
When you're ready to make a list, sites such as Black Friday @ GottaDeal.com will let you select sale items and compile them online. Ditto for Dealnews' Black Friday app for the iPhone (an iTunes download is required).
But don't let the hype blind you to so-so sales. Once you've narrowed your list, use a price-comparison engine such as PriceGrabber.com or Bizrate to make sure you've found the lowest prices available. PriceGrabber also lets you set price alerts that notify you when the price drops on the item you're interested in.
Then search for online coupons and rebates to sweeten these deals. For example, department store Kohl's has posted a 15%-off coupon code that makes some of its deals a home run.
And don't forget to look for secret sales. Retailers such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy are known to flag unadvertised deals on their Web sites on Thanksgiving Day, giving in-the-know shoppers a chance to score some bigger bargains.
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Don't camp out unless you have to
You don't have to wait in the freezing cold at 3 a.m. to score great deals this year. Many "door-buster" specials will be available online Friday morning and in many cases on Thanksgiving, says Dan de Grandpre, the CEO of Dealnews."It's as good as Black Friday, and the competition to get (the deals) is far less," he says. There's no grabbing, pushing or trampling involved.
If you're really worried about an item running out, you can shop online in your pajamas at 12:01 a.m. on Turkey Day at many retailers -- and then go back to bed.
Video: Don't shop -- swap!Of course, some door-busters will be found only in the stores. If your heart is set on one, you'd better join the 3 a.m. line. Some stores, such as Best Buy, hand out first-in-line vouchers, so those folks are guaranteed to snag the hottest deals.
To avoid the stampedes of years past, Wal-Mart will open its stores overnight on Thanksgiving, though some deals won't be available until early Friday morning.
Toys R Us will also be open Thursday.
Continued: What's hot this year
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