Local businesses are preparing for what is traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year -- Black Friday.
Many shoppers use the day after Thanksgiving to get a head start on holiday gift shopping.
Some retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Sears, are even offering sales on Turkey Day.
The Wal-Marts in Eagan, Inver Grove Heights, Apple Valley and Hastings should be open on Thanksgiving Day. Sears, which has a locations at Burnsville Center, a Sears Hometown dealer in Rosemount and an appliance showroom in Eagan, also has announced that its stores will be open on the holiday for the first time.
Burnsville Center will be closed on Thanksgiving. But the shopping mall will open early on Friday, at 5 a.m., and several of its individual stores will open even earlier. Old Navy will open Thursday at midnight; J.C. Penney will swing open its doors at 3 a.m.
The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota recently published several recommendations for Black Friday shoppers:
•Comparison shop: Don't rely solely on ads that say a store has the lowest prices for products. Look at different stores and compare prices.
•Be aware of new gift card rules: There were new federal regulations that went into effect this year that will help consumers. For example, gift cards can't expire for at least five years. An inactivity fee cannot be charged until the card has not been used for a year. Also, information on the card must disclose fees and the expiration date as well as a phone number or website to get more information. These rules do not pertain to reloadable cards such as debit cards.
