Too many shoppers chasing a limited number of early bird specials on Black Friday has many looking for deals earlier in November. Half of all holiday shoppers plan to start their shopping before Thanksgiving weekend, according to the NPD Group.

One of the best places to start? Shakopee. Coinciding with the annual craft fair at Canterbury Park Thursday through Sunday (Nov. 12-15), four local businesses will hold warehouse sales. Each has maps to the sales.

Delish Gourmet Foods (1157 Valley Park Dr. S., 952-496-2887). Soup ladies Maggie & Mary dish up charm and free samples. Their locally made, smartly-packaged dry soup, cheeseball and smoothie mixes and gourmet popcorn sell for 40 percent less than in retail stores. Wed.-Sun.

Dianne's Custom Candles (700 Valley Industrial Blvd. S., 952-746-5530). Save 75 percent on candles, reed diffusers, soy candles, votives and gifts. Go to Facebook and like "Dianne's Custom Candles" for more discounts. New this year: unscented candles. The sale runs Wed.-Sun, Nov. 20-22, Dec. 4-6.

Gage & Gage giftwrap (660 Industrial Circle S., 952-233-2081). Save 40 to 80 percent on all seasons giftwrap, gift boxes, goodie bags, tissue, ribbon, paper plates, napkins, wine bags/boxes and bakery boxes. The sale runs Wed.-Sun, Nov. 20-22 and Dec. 4-6.

Cameron's Coffee (5555 12th Av. E., Suite 170, www.cameronscoffee.com, 952-374-5000). The brand may not be a household name, but the quality wins fans. Coffee, syrups and mixes are discounted 20 to 50 percent, including organic, fair-trade and shade-grown coffee varieties. Wed.-Sat.