You haven’t even thawed the turkey yet, but stores are already trying to get you in the holiday buying mood. The big box stores and department stores are offering preview sales and early looks at their Black Friday deals for next Friday, Nov. 28. For a sneak peak at what deals you can expect when you head to the malls the day after Thanksgiving, visit:

NEW YORK—Wal-Mart Stores Inc. today is reporting a 10 percent increase in third-quarter profit as the world’s largest retailer’s renewed focus on low prices is attracting financially squeezed shoppers around the world. The company, however, is reducing its profit outlook amid a weak economy. The Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer said profits rose to $3.14 billion, or 80 cents per share, in the quarter ended Oct. 31. That compares with $2.86 billion, or 70 cents per share, a year earlier.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—Electronics retailer Best Buy Co. says it is cutting its fiscal 2009 earnings outlook below analyst estimates amid what the company called the toughest retail environment it has ever seen. Richfield, Minn.-based Best Buy expects earnings per share between $2.30 and $2.90 for the fiscal year ending in February, down from a prior estimate between $3.25 and $3.40 per share.

Virginia Lee buys generic-brand merchandise, plans her meals more closely, and accepts hand-me-down goods with increasing pleasure. Letty Perez avoids shopping malls and credit cards. The two friends walked out of a Target store in South Richmond with small shopping bags yesterday, and their restraint is why the department store and other major chains endured one of the worst months for retailers in decades in October.

Buying on layaway, once a holiday standard, appears to be back in fashion this season as consumers face a bleak economic landscape. Some retailers report more interest in the practice, made popular during the Great Depression, as consumers try to budget more and stay away from using credit cards. Kmart has spurred some of the interest this year by promoting its layaway service for the first time in a national advertising campaign.

The odds are good that a swath of familiar store names could disappear. In past economic downturns, troubled retailers could file for bankruptcy protection, shed leases on stores that weren’t making money and re-emerge a smaller, more profitable firm. Things are much different. The credit crunch, combined with the facts that consumers have significantly pulled back on buying and real estate has fallen out of favor, means retailers limping into the crucial holiday season probably won’t survive.