The craziest shopping period of the year is rapidly approaching, as retail outlets are beginning to unveil some of their Black Friday deals. According to multiple reports, this year’s buying frenzy might be all about tablets.

At least that’s where people will be looking closely for deals. Although it’s probably not the group of devices most likely to see huge holiday markdowns, tablets are on the top of people’s shopping lists according to a new report from Retrevo.

According to the numbers, tablets are the most sought after item this season. 32% of those surveyed said that they will be looking for a deal on an iPad, Kindle Fire, or other tablet. This is tops, followed by HDTVs with 25% and Laptops with 24%.

As far as specific tablets go, folks are hoping to recieve the iPad and the new Kindle fire more than any other device. The two are at a virtual dead heat atop the list, followed closely by smartphones:

Other interesting finds from the survey include the fact that online shopping is set to increase once again, with 34% saying that they plan to do Black Friday shopping both online and in-stores. Only 10% of this year’s sample group say that they plan to do all of their shopping in-store, down from 18% last year.

So shoppers are looking to buy the iPad, and people really want to get the iPad as a gift this holiday season. When you look at additional data from Nielsen, you see that it’s not just adults that want Apple’s industry-leading tablet.

According to their own survey, kids really want iPads too. 44% of children aged 6-12 say that they want the device this holiday season. Apple ends up dominating the wishlist, as 30% of the kids desire an iPod Touch and 27% desire an iPhone.

What deals are you looking for this Black Friday? Do your family members want tablets, specifically iPads? Let us know in the comments.