Black Friday cheat sheet: Your guide to retail's big weekend After grappling with a lack of innovation in the industry, toy makers respond with playthings that work with apps or interact with gadgets like iPads, allowing more customization and creativity. Shoppers, on your mark: The long weekend of Black Friday sales is practically upon us. Here's a roundup of information that should help you navigate the sales, whether you're hitting the mall or shopping on a tablet in your living room. When do the big sales start? If you're asking this question, you're already a little bit behind the deal-nabbing curve. Many holiday sales are already underway. Wal-Mart cut prices on 20,000 items way back on Nov. 1. Staples began its Black Friday sale on Nov. 16. The Disney Store began offering its Black Friday prices on Monday. But still, some fresh deals are poised to arrive on Thursday and Friday. Here's when some of the big sales kick off. We've linked to each retailer's Black Friday Web hub so you can get an idea of what kind of items and promotions they'll be offering. Shoppers at Brea Mall on Black Friday last year in Brea, Calif. Jae C. Hong/AP Thursday 12 a.m. As soon as the clock strikes midnight, online sales start at Wal-Mart and other large retailers. 6 a.m. Kmart is the first big-box retailer to open its physical stores. Best Buy, JCPenney and Toys R Us open their physical stores. The next wave of big-box retailers opens its doors: Target, Macy's, Sears and Kohl's. Wal-Mart is staggering its deals this year, so look for its big electronics event to kick off at this time. The promotions available earlier, at 6 p.m., are mostly focused on toys and home goods. 10 p.m. to midnight. Many major malls nationwide and specialty apparel stores will open somewhere in this time frame. There's plenty of variation from mall to mall and store to store, so check in with your local shopping center to know what to expect. Friday 1 a.m. Best Buy and some other retailers close up shop for the night instead of staying open continuously through Friday evening. They've found that there's not much shopping action in the wee hours of the morning, so it doesn't make sense to keep the stores staffed during that time. Another round of new deals launches at stores such as Wal-Mart and Kmart. Best Buy reopens. Throughout the morning: Major retailers who stayed closed on Thanksgiving, including Nordstrom and Costco, will open their doors. Anything I need to know before I open my wallet? Retailers are still going to be competing intensely on price. You should be ready for Elsa-mania. Relax. Your vision of Black Friday anarchy is outdated. Retailers are in a bigger-than-ever shipping battle this year, and that's creating new conveniences for you. People are planning to spend more this holiday weekend than they did last year. Thank lower gas prices. Not sure what tech gifts should be on your list? The Post has you covered. And here's a shopping tip from our friends over at Get There: