PITTSBURGH -- Black Friday is no longer just a day, this year it's a season.

Stores are already offering deep discounts and many shoppers are making the most of it.

Sale signs are everywhere at local malls.

Retailers were offering 20, 30, 40 even 50 percent off items.

Margie Mellott got a new coat at Macys for free by taking advantage of that stores Macy’s Money promotion.

Mellott said, “For every $50 you spend you get $10 Macy dollars and then you can spend it on particular things in the store.”

Macy’s isn’t the only retailer using promotions to try to lure customers into stores.

Lane Bryant stores have a promotion called Real Woman Dollars.

Toni Seibert from Lane Bryant explained how it works, “For every $50 you spend from now to Dec. 1 you get 25 Real Woman Dollars. It’s like a half off coupon.”

Retailers are also using coupons to get shoppers to spend money.

Sears is even offering $10 in coupons just for signing up to get its e-mails.

The department store also promises to have big sales on all kinds of practical gifts, everything from tools to toasters.

And practical gifts are expected to be very popular this year.

Audrey Guskey, marketing professor at Duquesne University said that this year more people are buying things they need, not necessarily what they want.

Guskey said she’s been studying consumer shopping habits for 20 years and sales predictions are the worst she has ever seen.

The National Retail Federation is predicting only a 2.2 percent increase in sales over last year, but Guskey believes that is overly optimistic.

Guskey said, “I'm thinking it's going to be flat or below last year. Retailers are very concerned about sales and they’re doing everything they can to get us shopping early. They find the earlier we shop the more money we are going to spend.”