CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Black Friday is known as the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. The frenzied shopping ritual begins in Charlotte at some stores as early as 12:01 a.m.

Last year Black Friday drew 66 million shoppers, up from 58.9 million in 2006, the National Retail Federation says. But this year retailers are likely to offer deep discounts every day from Thanksgiving to Christmas, according to a USA Today report.

Here's a list of holiday shopping hours for Charlotte area malls:

For a list of Black Friday deals, check out these web sites: TGIBlackFriday.com, BlackFriday.info, blackfriday.gottadeal.com

GPS system are among the hottest Black Friday deals. BlackFriday.FM has a list of the GPS deals for all the stores including Walmart, Target and Best Buy.

Black-Friday.net links to sale items online so you can just click and purchase!

The veteran frugal shoppers huddle around slickdeals.net and fatwallet.com. It's where you'll find out about sales or other special offers that are not widely advertised. Their message boards are filled with postings that give more than just the sales price. There are coupon codes for 25, 30 and even 40 percent off.

Got your eye on something you'd like to purchase? Check out dealalerter.com. They check the price daily for you and alert you when the price drops. Also check out pricespider.com.

If you need to ship your gifts go to shipgooder.com for price comparison.

Shoppers who want to avoid the lines will also be able to find plenty of bargains online, but you'll need to know the coupon codes to get the good deals. Check out DealTaker.com, slickdeals.net and fatwallet.com for coupon codes.

Best Buy has a list of items on sale Friday online and in the store.

The BBB has tips to make you a savvy shopper this holiday season:

• Pay with a credit card. Credit cards offer buyer protections that you do not get when you pay by cash, check or debit card.

• Read the fine print on extended warranties so you will know if the store or a third party is responsible for fulfilling your warranty.

• Gift cards make great gifts, but may have fees or declining balances if not used quickly.

• Know the store's return policies and keep your receipts. Return policies vary from store to store.

• Find out about special return or exchange policies that apply to sale merchandise.

• Leave the tags on the gift and only mark out the price. Price tags have bar codes or other point of purchase labels that facilitate returns.

• Give the gift in its original packaging to avoid restocking fees if the gift is returned.

• If you are buying toys, check out the Consumer Products Safety Commission's list of recalled toys at www.cpsc.gov.

For more information, please visit www.bbb.org or call the BBB at 1-877-317-7236 toll-free in N.C. and S.C.