"The rules for Black Friday have changed significantly,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.

“Instead of waiting until Thanksgiving Day to announce their promotions, many retailers are getting shoppers excited about Black Friday by offering sneak peeks of deals in advance, using social media to create buzz, or teasing upcoming deals on their websites.” 

This year, many retailers are using the Internet to bring shoppers into stores. According to the Shop.org eHoliday survey, more than half of retailers (54.9%) will send a special email to customers about Black Friday deals and nearly four out of 10 (39.2%) will use their Facebook page to reach out to shoppers. Additionally, many retailers will utilize their website’s home page (31.4%) and Twitter (21.6%) to announce and promote Black Friday deals.

Shop.org’s CyberMonday.com, which features promotions and deals from more than 700 retailers, will feature a Deal of the Hour on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Retailers participating in the Black Friday Deal of the Hour include QVC, Drugstore.com, American Eagle, Kmart, Sears, Sephora and Sierra Trading Post. Offers will include free shipping specials, dollars off, percentages off, and free gifts with purchase.

In addition, CyberMonday.com will be distributing hundreds of dollars in gift cards from major retailers each day through Dec. 25 to its fans on Facebook and followers on Twitter. 

The partnership between eBay and the NRF will receive support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as part of an effort to halt crime in which items are stolen from physical stores and then sold online.

The NRF says organized retail gangs are sophisticated criminal enterprises that steal large quantities of merchandise from retail stores and resell the goods for profit online.

"eBay has invested in a number of new resources and is making tremendous strides assisting retailers and law enforcement with tracking illegal behavior," said Joe LaRocca, Senior Asset Protection Advisor, NRF.

"The partnership between NRF and eBay will create standards and best practices to stop criminals from fencing their stolen goods."

Under the partnership NRF retail members and representatives from eBay will meet on a regular basis to discuss organized retail crime, brainstorm best practices to prevent it, and take steps to eradicate the activity.

According to law enforcement and industry groups, organized retail crime rings steal as much as $30 billion in merchandise from retail stores every year.  In an NRF survey done in 2009, 92 percent of retailers said they were victimized by organized retail crime within the past year, and 73 percent reported the level of organized retail crime activity had increased.

Major retailers that generate $5 billion or more in annual revenue have an advantage, as they have more experience in multi-channel retailing. They are more likely than small and midsize retailers to view the online channel as an extension of their business instead of just an outlet for excess inventory.

Larger retailers are more likely to offer the option to order in-store for fulfillment through other channels (59% compared to 42% for all respondents), or to buy online and via catalog for in-store pickup (59% compared to only 35% for all respondents).

More significantly, large retailers have a greater willingness to partner with suppliers to allow direct shipments from the supplier to the customer (82% compared to 49% of all respondents).

Retailers continue to face the challenge of making in-store inventory visible to online channels and vice versa, with large retailers doing slightly better than others.

The report concludes," Just as consumers led the way in using the web as a research tool for their purchases (and retailers responded by making product information available to consumers via their websites), they also point the way forward with cross-channel buying behaviors."