It's the biggest shopping day of the year, but how that shopping is getting done is changing.

Our consumer investigative reporter Susan L.

Corey is looking at how the days of midnight door buster deals are becoming a thing of the past.

Lining up, you go to the ticket line or camping out for some dedicated shoppers.

Black Friday is like their Super Bowl.

But we know someone I'm a I'm flying by the seat of my pants and just going with the gut.

Avery Ford strategy is in the palm of his hand.

The conversation is always like we'll check Amazon.

It wasn't always this way.

Ford says five years ago you'd find him at the mall culture of Black Friday.

Got a little out of hand.

I think he won't be the only one sitting out this year.

So that's my sister and then her kids.

Lindsey Knappenberger gave us a peek at her family's Amazon wish list.

Tell me exactly what they want and then it takes out all the guesswork so it makes it easy on everybody.

Still, there's no denying Black Friday's popularity and the signs of it are just about everywhere.

Folks are looking for those deals.

Jennifer Burton is an associate professor of marketing at the University of Tampa.

The numbers that I've seen is for this year, 26% of shoppers are planning on, you know, waiting in line for an hour or more sometime during that Black Friday.

Numbers from the National Retail Federation show last year almost 76 million people made it to the stores on Black Friday, but not as many as the more than 90 million who opted for online as part of the changing trend in shopping more stores are offering deals.

Earlier, turning it from a day into a week, especially with such a late Thanksgiving that retailers have felt a stronger need to trot out these deals at an earlier date.

Some shops hope in store exclusives will get people in the door, but even that can't tempt everyone.

I don't want to have to deal with like bumping through crowds and stuff.

His mind is made up, so if your name is on Avery Ford's list, we have a good guess where you're getting a gift from.

I only shop on Amazon pretty much.

It wasn't too many years ago that we'd see a lot of parking lots like this one.

Busy on Thanksgiving Day, but now we're seeing the majority of stores choosing to close and keep that attention on Black Friday.

But come this time tomorrow, a lot of stores hoping it'll be a very different scene out here in Tampa.

I'm consumer investigator Susan Elkhori taking action for you.