Is it Black Friday already?Anyone paying attention to the latest retailer announcements involving upcoming schedules for store hours and sales promotions could be forgiven for thinking that the major holiday shopping event, the day after Thanksgiving, is upon us right now.While surveys show the importance of Black Friday might be slipping, it remains important to businesses hoping to turn a profit in still-tough economic times while keeping workers on the payrolls.And it, of course, remains a big deal to people looking to snag items at bargain prices.According to an annual holiday shopping survey by business firm Accenture, 44 percent of those surveyed said they are likely to shop on Black Friday, down from 47 percent last year and 52 percent in 2009.Different surveys offer conflicting outlooks on holiday spending. Some analysts expect people to spend about 3 percent more this year than last. The National Retail Federation, meanwhile, expects the average shopper to spend $704.18 on gifts and home decor, $15 less than last year.Another survey, by the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs, shows growth in Black Friday consumers — some 34 percent of respondents say they planned to shop on the day.The council calls the day “Bargain Friday” because the survey finds that the lion’s share of buying is for non-gift purchases.There’s one other thing that bears repeating. While Black Friday has been called by some the busiest shopping day of the year, that hasn’t proved to be true. Instead, the Saturday before Christmas is almost always the busiest shopping day.And now on to some handy Black Friday tips and facts:Early Black FridayWal-Mart Stores Inc. will begin offering Black Friday deals at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving. That compares with last year when in-store specials kicked off at midnight and later. Most Walmart stores will be open all day Thanksgiving.“Our customers told us they would rather stay up late to shop than get up early,” Duncan Mac Naughton, chief merchandising officer of Wal-Mart United States, said in a statement.This year, discounts on home items, clothing and toys will begin at 10 p.m. Special deals on electronics will begin at midnight.Target, Kohl’s, Best Buy and Macy’s are not going as far as Wal-Mart. But they will open at midnight Thanksgiving for the first time.Macy’s at Summit Mall in Fairlawn will be joined by 20 other mall stores opening at midnight. The list includes Banana Republic, Gap, Lane Bryant and American Eagle Outfitters.Toys R Us nationwide will open at 9 p.m., an hour earlier than last year.Sears is switching gears, opting to not open on Thanksgiving. Last year, the retailer opened on the holiday — at 7 a.m. — for the first time in its history. This year, Sears will return to opening its doors for Black Friday at 4 a.m.But Kmart — part of the Sears company — will continue its 20-year tradition and have its stores open in most markets, including Akron, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thanksgiving. On Black Friday, Kmart stores nationwide will open at 5 a.m.Many Old Navy stores also will be open on Thanksgiving. Shoppers should check with individual stores.Small Business SaturdayFor the second year, shoppers are being encouraged to support local retailers on what is called Small Business Saturday, Nov. 26, and pick up stuff they might not be able to find at big box stores.The small business marketing effort falls between Black Friday and Cyber Monday — the Monday after Thanksgiving when online promotions heat up.More than 1.9 million Facebook users have “liked” a Facebook page promoting Small Business Saturday. The page — organized by American Express — allows users to type in ZIP codes to search for local businesses.‘Uncommon’ Akron marketAlso on Nov. 26, area small business folks in the form of crafters and artists will be the focus of what’s called Crafty Mart.The event bills itself as the “uncommon arts and crafts holiday market” and is now in its third year.It will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at downtown Akron’s Musica nightclub, and will feature more than 50 vendors offering jewelry, clothing, accessories, baby gear, sculpture, cards, scarves and soap, among other products.New this year: Students from the University of Akron’s Myers School of Art will be on hand with their teachers, offering jewelry, ceramics, and prints.Small guys have deals, tooIt’s not just the big box retailers who are offering Black Friday deals/giveaways.Small businesses are joining the fray, including Taylor Made Jewelry in Akron’s Ellet area.The locally owned store, at 2492 Wedgewood Drive, will celebrate Black Friday by offering a pair of black crystal earrings valued at $50 with purchases (non-clearance items) totaling $100 or more.A limited number of the earrings will be available.Owner Jim Taylor said his daughter, Addy Taylor, came up with the promotion — a first in the store’s 20-year history.“We decided to have some fun with the whole Black Friday thing,” Jim Taylor said.But there is a limit, he said.“We’re not jumping on board with trying to get open earlier than anybody else.”The store will open at 10 a.m. Black Friday — its normal time.LayawaysThis holiday season is being touted as marking the return of the layaway concept, with Wal-Mart reviving its program.Wal-Mart, which had discontinued the service in 2006, is now heavily promoting the service, offering layaways on in-store purchases of toys, electronics and some jewelry.Toys R Us, meanwhile, has expanded its list of items eligible for layaway.Sears brought back layaways a few years ago.But consumer advocates warn that the service often comes with catches.For example, Wal-Mart charges a $5 service fee, as does Toys R Us. And Wal-Mart does not permit layaways on items bought on Black Friday.Some retailers — such as Kames sporting goods in Lake Township — never abandoned their longstanding layaway programs. Kames, in business since 1968, doesn’t charge a service fee.Smart shoppers, phonesGot one of those handy smart phones, a data plan and an urge to buy Black Friday deals? Then you need shopping apps. They are tools that can help you try to spend wisely.Look into an app that lets you use your phone’s camera to read bar codes. Then you can quickly and easily compare prices as you shop and read product reviews.Major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy have their own apps for shopping online from your phone. Wal-Mart just enhanced its app for the iPad and the new iPhone 4S.Online retail giant Amazon has a number of apps and just recently introduced its “flow” app that incorporates barcode scanning software and software that uses the phone camera to look at an item, such as a DVD or a book, to determine price and availability. Virtual gift cardsGift cards are getting a virtual twist. Consumer Reports, Bankrate.com and others are saying that gift cards are not quite as popular now. A Bankrate/CreditCards.com survey released Nov. 7 said 48 percent of adults got gift cards in 2010, down from 62 percent in 2007, according to Consumer Reports.The poll also showed 25 percent of adults still had an unused gift card from the 2010 holiday season.The newest twist in gift cards is you now have virtual options: Mobile and digital gift cards. Electronic gift cards allow someone to buy a card online and then send it via e-mail to the intended recipient.One example of how retailers are learning to use social media sites: Amazon’s electronic gift cards can be sent to a recipient’s Facebook page.Cash or creditShould you pay cash or use credit? Most consumer credit counseling organizations urge you to pay cash and not take on debt.Or, if you want to use a credit card that perhaps will give you perks, as well as some financial fraud protection, then make sure you have the cash to pay it all off by the time the bill comes due. Something else to consider for next year: Open a Christmas Club account at your local bank or credit union and set aside enough money over the course of 2012 to pay for your holiday gifts.Black Friday weeks?Forget about Black Friday for a minute. You can find retailers offering early deals online right now.Amazon.com is already running the “Countdown to Black Friday” deals on its website and other retailers have promotions, too.Sneak peeks at ads Black Friday advertisements are appearing now at websites such as dealnews.com. The sites post well in advance what they believe are the Black Friday advertisements that will be appearing in newspapers on Thanksgiving.Consumer Reports says retailers will release or leak the ads early to Black Friday-focused websites. Sites to check, according to Consumer Reports, are bfads.net, blackfriday.info, and BlackFriday.gottadeal.com.You can also go to Consumer Reports online at ConsumerReports.org.Jim Mackinnon and Katie Byard are Beacon Journal business writers. Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or by email at jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com. Byard can be reached at 330-996-3781 or by email at kbyard@thebeaconjournal.com.