Mechele Agbayani Mills

After filling up with turkey and dressing, shoppers will begin lining up outside retail stores to grab those highly sought-after items with discounts. That’s right, ’tis the season for Black Friday, and all sizes of retailers are gearing up for the big day. Newspapers are stuffed with sale flyers, commercials are promoting “doorbuster” deals and online ads promise the best bargains The National Retail Federation is estimating retail sales in November and December to increase by almost 4 percent, to $655.8 billion.

Black Friday is a day where millions start early for great deals. However, the holiday’s name originated from the negative experience some shoppers have, so it’s important to take steps to make it as positive as possible.

The Better Business Bureau offers some tips to make your Black Friday shopping experience productive – and hopefully jolly.

— Learn about advertising tricks and gimmicks. The new BBB #AdTruth campaign highlights bad ads and helps you learn to identify the most common schemes and cons. Check it out at bbb.org/adtruth.

— Do your research. Read product reviews, check out bbb.org for Business Reviews, look at the sales flyers and ads, compare prices, look for early promotions and “flash sales.” For tips on searching online, check out the new BBB Digital IQ project at bbb.org/digitalIQ.

— Have a definite plan. Most shopping experts have a plan for Black Friday shopping. Many stores are “leaking” their Black Friday ads early just for “planners.” Map out what stores have the best deals and take advantage of those first. Also, try to figure out which streets will be busiest and if there’s an alternate route available.

— Read the fine print. Some stores only honor sale ads during a certain time frame, or on certain days. Some stores may only allow you to purchase one item, particularly large, popular and/or deeply discounted products.

— Know the advertiser. Some of the best deals are only available online, but be careful. It’s easy for a fake site to mimic a famous retailer’s website, so make sure you are shopping with a legitimate site. Check out bbb.org to read more about stores or websites unfamiliar to you.

— Sign-up for email alerts. Many stores release their best Black Friday deals to people who have signed up to receive their emails. Just make sure it’s the real business and not a scammer.

— Ask for gift receipts and save warranty information. A gift receipt can be tucked into a gift item or card so that the recipient can return or exchange a gift if it’s not just right. Be sure to pass along any information about returns, exchanges, repairs, and warranties to the person who will use the item.

For more tips on how to be a savvy consumer, go to bbb.org. To report fraudulent activity or unscrupulous business practices, please call the BBB Hotline: 903-581-8373 or use BBB Scam Tracker.