Hours: Doors will open at 6 a.m. Friday

Status: Confirmed

J.C. Penney has already begun to backtrack a bit on its new no-sales policy, so it's not surprising that it's staying in the Black Friday game (especially in the wake of its dismal third-quarter sales figures). The retailer announced its only sale of the year Monday morning, promising additional savings with no coupons required. It also promises that you can shop online on Thanksgiving to get sale prices early.
For now the retailer hasn't released an official circular for Black Friday, though it has announced another kind of promotion. Over the course of the holiday season, sales associates will give out tens of millions of buttons to shoppers, with each button bearing a code that can be entered at JCP.com for a one in four chance at winning a gift. Prizes will include vacations, gift cards ranging from $5 to $500 and select merchandise. You can get your hands on the buttons in stores starting on Black Friday.