What you need to know about Black Friday this year

• Black Friday falls on November 23 this year.
• The day is becoming increasingly less important to the retail industry, thanks to the rise of e-commerce and frequent discounting.
• In-store shoppers can still take advantage of certain deals.

Black Friday is swiftly approaching.

The holiday season in the United States spans from the day after Thanksgiving through December. That kick-off day is known as Black Friday, and it's traditionally marked by massive crowds rushing into stores in order to take advantage of slashed prices on high-ticket items. However, in the retail sphere, the rise of e-commerce and discounts are steadily eclipsing Black Friday.

Whether you're planning on venturing out into the fray or surfing the web for the best deals, it helps to arm yourself with information about this year's discounts.

Here's what you need to know about Black Friday this year:

When is Black Friday?

Black Friday is always the day after Thanksgiving.

This year, Black Friday falls on November 23. Cyber Monday will take place on November 26. But deals will be kicking off across November and through the holiday season.

Is everything open on Black Friday?

Some retailers prefer to keep their doors shut on Black Friday.

REI is one of those brands. Black Friday just doesn't fit in with its mission. REI CEO Jerry Stritzke told Business Insider's Kate Taylor, "You don't win in the long-term by pushing ... what I call rampant consumerism."

Other employers give their whole workforce the day off on Thanksgiving.

According to BestBlackFriday.com, Costco, H&M, The Home Depot, IKEA, Lowe's, Nordstrom, Publix, REI, and Sam's Club will not open on Thanksgiving this year.

Read about all of the stores that will keep closed on Thanksgiving here.

Do any retailers open up early?

JCPenney isn't waiting for Black Friday to get started on its sales. On Thanksgiving at 2 p.m., the retailer will usher in shoppers. The stores will stay open until 10 p.m. on Black Friday.

Kohl's will open on Thanksgiving at 5 p.m. local time. The deals will run until 1 p.m. on Black Friday.

Macy's will reportedly welcome in shoppers at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving and close up shop at 2 a.m. on Black Friday. It will then reopen at 6 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. on Black Friday. 

Walmart's in-store Black Friday event will then kick off on Thanksgiving, at 6 p.m. local time.

Meanwhile, Costco will be closed on Turkey Day. But the warehouse club is still hosting a number of online sales on Thanksgiving.

For a full rundown of when retailers will open their doors, click here.