What to know, do before 'Black Friday'

With the holiday shopping season on the horizon, many are finalizing their lists and checking them twice; not just list of items to buy but their strategies for "Black Friday" shopping.

Following a hearty Thanksgiving feast, armies of turkey-stuffed consumers will descend on America's stores to conquer one mission saving holiday dollars. This year, the National Retail Federation expects total retail sales for the holiday season to reach $630.5 billion, an increase of 3.7 percent from nearly $608 billion in 2014.

With such a large amount of money at stake each holiday season it is best to know the stores that are going to offer the best sales. The top 5 stores with the best average discounts, according to wallethub.com are: JCPenney (68 percent), Kohl's (66.7 percent), Macy's (56 percent), Kmart (50.1 percent), and Sears (41.7 percent).

With this in mind, people can make final decisions where to shop if saving money is paramount.

Some other points to keep in mind prior to Black Friday include:

• Know the going price for the products being considered. For example, many retailers indicate "was" and "now" prices on the products, but that, "was" price isn't necessarily accurate.

• Compare product prices in promotional materials distributed prior to Black Friday and visit retailers' web sites.

• Call stores prior to Black Friday to determine how many items are available at the advertised price if it isn't provided in the promotional materials.