As Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang lament another year with no Great Pumpkin, retail stores are hoping that the holiday season brings better days ahead. Amazon announced yesterday the opening of its popular Black Friday store. Yes, you heard me correctly. The little ghouls and goblins on the shelves  have been replaced with turkeys and Christmas lights. Amazon isn’t wasting any time trying to catch those early-bird shoppers.

Black Friday isn’t officially until the day after Thanksgiving. Above, you can see a picture of the countdown they have included on their Black Friday website. The cool thing, however, is that the deals have already begun. In the image below, you can see that there are hidden treasure chests that will be opened throughout the day to reveal great deals. You will also notice that they offer a small clue as to what is coming below each treasure chest.

Amazon also announced the opening of its Holiday Toy List today. Pictured below, the store is designed to help you see what the hot new toys of the season are.  ”Holiday toy shopping has never been easier,” says John Alteio, director of Toys & Games for Amazon.com. “We’re excited to offer parents, friends and family a destination where they can easily find the coolest new toys at the best prices. Customers can use the Price Check by Amazon App for iPhone when shopping this season, to make sure they’re getting the best possible prices.”

A lot of companies are placing their hopes on this holiday season. Economies are struggling across the globe. Retailers are going to have to be creative to get customers shopping. What about you? Are you excited about the holiday season? Will you consider online stores like Amazon for your purchases? We love hearing your feedback.