Black Friday is today! So are you gonna do it? Brave the crowds?

This year retailers -- smarting from the worst holiday season in a decade last year -- have come up with a variety of new tactics to offer all Black Friday all the time this weekend.

So maybe you're even already home, nice and cozy with a cup of tea after fighting the crowds during midnight madness at an outlet center. Or maybe you wrapped it all up while waiting for the turkey to roast yesterday, taking advantage of the online specials that, this year, began on Thanksgiving (those included Target and J. Crew).

Or maybe you are just putting off the pain, planning to take advantage of the fact that numerous sales extend over the weekend this year. (Endless.com, here I come!)

The National Retail Federation says up to 134 million people are expected to shop over this holiday weekend, That estimate is up from the 128 million people who said they planned to shop during Thanksgiving in 2008, as first reported by Reuters.

At the same time, The Conference Board (that's a go-to economic forecasting group) predicts American households will spend an average of $390 on Christmas gifts this year, -- that's down from $418 last year, according to the The New York Times.

Basically, shoppers want bargains in a big way. (Not for nothing, "Ugg boots Black Friday" is among the top Google searches today.) And stores want to move merchandise.

We find merit in both goals. To the mall!

If you need suggestions for deals, check out great gifts for gadget lovers on AOL Shopping and the lowdown on the Big Box stores on Walletpop.

And before you head out check out what to wear while holiday shopping to look and feel your best.