Sears and Kmart are going on the third week of early Black Friday promotions, with door-buster deals all weekend leading up to the actual Black Friday.

Forget the 5 a.m. start, Toys R Us stores will open at midnight on Thursday, Nov. 26. Just in time to finish digesting that Thanksgiving meal.

As Toys R Us points out in an announcement, that's 25% more time to grab Black Friday deals.

Toys R Us' Big Book is out and most Black Friday deals are leaked but the toy retailer will make a preview available of more than 100 previously unadvertised prices on Black Friday deals as of 12:01 Wednesday, Nov. 25, and start shopping in stores just 24 hours later.

But while stores will be open, some but not all, of the doorbusters won't begin until 5 a.m.

Zhu Zhu hunters be appraised, the first 100 people in line on Black Friday will each be given a ticket for the opportunity to purchase a Zhu Zhu Pet (with a limit of one per household). Toys R Us, said in a statement that 1000's of Zhu Zhu Pets will be arriving regularly throughout December.

According to the National Retail Federation, 42.4% of the U.S. population plans to shop for gifts online this holiday season. It's convenient, makes for pain free price comparisons, and saves a good bit of money in sales tax.

Savvy readers have mastered the art of collecting coupon codes online and know never to shop a national retailer's Web site without first checking for discounts.

But there are some things about physically shopping that can't be replaced. The social aspect of spending the day out with family, pairing up with a favorite shopping buddy, and adding lunch or spa visit to make holiday shopping more than just braving the crowds.

Each year, it seems, the holiday season starts earlier. The decorations, the music, the Black Friday deals. So it makes sense that the finger pointing and accusations that retailers are anti-Christmas starts earlier too.

That first shot was fired by the American Family Association, calling for "a limited two-month boycott of Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic, the three stores owned by San Francisco-based Gap Inc., over the company's censorship of the word "Christmas."

The War on Christmas is on.

Except as Los Angeles Times columnist Dan Neil points out, the Gap did use the word Christmas in it's ads.

Holidays are all about food, family and receiving gifts that you know you will never use -- with a smile. Of the $437.6 billion consumers plan to spend this holiday season, $42.7 billion worth of items are likely to be returned to stores, according to retail trade association, the National Retail Federation.

But this year, the annual pilgrimage to the return counter may prove a little less satisfying. Last year, the bad economy and gloomy sales forecasts led retailers to loosen up return policies, but 2009 is shaping up to be quite different -- 15.9% of retailers say they are tightening the rules, according to the NRF.

That makes reading the fine print on return policies even more important. Here's our roundup of retailers' return policies and our assessment of which ones are naughty or nice.

According to the Consumer Electronics Association, video games are the third most desired product this holiday season, and electronics retailers aren't the only ones angling to capture sales. Toys R Us is launching layaway, trade-ins and even more sales on video game hardware.

Toys R Us has been introducing new deals at a furious pace leading up to Black Friday, and beginning Friday, Nov. 18, the chain is expanding its layaway program to video game hardware (except in Maryland). Placing a product on layaway requires a deposit of 20% of the total, including taxes and a $10 service charge. Items must be paid for in full by Dec. 6.

The retailer began taking trade-ins of video game software in October, and will now accept hardware, as well. Bring gaming devices to a Toys R Us store and have the hardware scanned at the service desk to determine value. Accept the offer and you'll be issued a gift card for the value that can be redeemed immediately in store or online.

Costco wholesale clubs won't be selling Coca-Cola products any longer. The chain is reportedly dropping the brand due to a dispute over pricing.

Neither Coke nor Costco offered more explanation, but Bloomberg news quotes a statement from Costco's Web site that states, "At this time, Coca-Cola has not provided Costco with competitive pricing so that we may pass along the value our members deserve."

That statement is no longer accessible under the Coke product listing, which simply says the item is no longer available. But a Costco representative confirmed Monday to news outlets that the chain won't be carrying products from Coca-Cola.

Brands included: Coke Classic, Cherry Coke, Black Cherry Vanilla Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite and Squirt, Dasani Water and Vitamin Water along with sports and energy drinks.

To give, or not to give a gift card? No matter how impersonal it may seem, this holiday season it's a proposition that will be hard to resist. Retailers are stepping up offers that include gift cards as bonuses or dangling free cards with purchases.

They're doing so for good reason: Gift cards will be the most requested gift during this year's holiday season, according to a recent report by the National Retail Federation. According to the NRF's survey, 55% of adults in the United States want a gift card this year. Retailers have definitely taken note. Research firm First Data expects retailers to use cards as promotional tools this season more than ever before.

Toys R Us is offering Wii consoles for $99 from Friday, November 13 through Sunday, November 15. There's a catch; it must be purchased as part of a Wii "starter bundle" that includes batteries, accessories, games and storage, bring the tally to $249.

Here's what you get:

• Ultimate Gaming Ottoman
• Any four Gear Monkey video game accessories
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympics Games for Wii
• 20-pack of Toys "R" Us "AA" batteries

And a Wii. A Toys R Us spokeswoman tells Walletpop the $99 Wii qualifies as an unadvertised deal, since it's not included in the retailer's weekly circular. It is being promoted with email blasts and at the store level.

News crews everywhere must be very disappointed. In an effort to avoid the stampeding crowds on Black Friday, Walmart will keep most stores open for 24 hours, beginning Thanksgiving through the end of the following day.

Sales begin at 5 a.m. on Black Friday, but lining up and rushing the doors won't be part of this year's festivities.

Walmart is busily implementing safety precautions after last year, when a store employee was trampled to death in Valley Stream, N.Y. Walletpop has been providing some fun tips on how to handle Black Friday, but not getting killed is certainly top of that list. With bargain hunting at a fevered pitch, Black Friday safety is more important than ever.

Walmart hasn't yet identified which stores will be open for those Black Friday hours, but those normally open for 24 hours will not have any changes. The retailer announced it is developing a plan with safety experts in the sports and entertainment fields to develop better ways for shoppers to get into, and navigate the store, including around promotional displays.

Maybe this Black Friday will more closely resemble a shopping event than the running of the bulls.