TUPELO - Retail store owners and managers want you to shop to your heart's content, but they hope you'll also be careful and patient.

Long lines are the norm on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Special "doorbuster" deals don't always last, which can be frustrating for some shoppers

The Daily Journal asked some retailers what they were doing to prepare for the rush, as well as to offer a little advice.

* Todd Brown, store manager at Toys R Us in Tupelo, is getting his store ready to open at midnight tonight, quite a bit earlier than the 5 a.m. opening last year. He expects a line of shoppers will start around 5 p.m. today.

Brown has been advising his employees to "be early and come in well-rested and with a great attitude."

"We might be super busy, but the people who come out are in great moods," he said. "I think they do it as a sport. I tell my employees to be ready, be happy and be prepared for an exciting, busy day."

"We have very good line control. I've been here seven years and we haven't had a single fight."

He said the store relies on tickets for hot items such as Zhu Zhu Pets and specific video games. For example, employees will start at the front of the line and ask people if they are in line to get a Zhu Zhu Pet, a motorized hamster that is turning into a hot toy this year. If they are, they get a numbered ticket that allows them to buy one.

His advice for shoppers: use debit or credit cards instead of checks and cash. It makes the line go faster.

* At Cowboy Maloney's, assistant manager Jeremy Marple said the store will open at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, later than many stores. But that doesn't mean the store will be any less crowded.

Calling the Black Friday scene "organized chaos," Marple said that extra employees and a security guard will be posted at the front door to make sure the buying goes as smoothly as possible.

"Don't panic and be patient," he advises shoppers. "We're going to help customers one at a time to make sure they get what they need. And if we don't have something, we'll try to match it with something as close as possible."

* Rick Johnson, a supervisor at Walmart on North Gloster Street, said the store opens at 5 a.m. on Friday, with employees starting their shifts at 4 a.m.

"We've been practicing and running drills all week," Johnson said.

He referenced the stampede at a New York Walmart last year that killed a Walmart employee and injured four shoppers. Johnson said the store is doing its part to make sure the situation isn't repeated.

This year, the Tupelo store, along with other Walmart locations, is using orange cones to set up "customer trails" and is adding blockades in the store to better control the flow of shoppers.

* James Simmons, store manager at GameStop, recommended that people check the fine print in Black Friday ads. Some places are guaranteeing specific items will be in stock, or they'll offer a rain check.

Other stores say the deals are in "limited quantities."

His store has been preparing by stocking up on hot video game titles and lots of accessories for the gaming systems.

"Pretty much overall, you don't know what's going to happen until the rush comes through Friday morning," Simmons said.

He's been advising his employees to "prepare for the worst" Friday morning.

"If you lose your cool, you are going to make mistakes," Simmons said, adding that it will be the first Black Friday for many of his employees. "It's going to be chaotic. There will likely be people that will be in a bad mood because they have to wait ... The best thing is to be patient with people."

* Alisha Turner, an employee in the toys department at Walmart on North Gloster advised shoppers to leave early for their desired destination and account for traffic.

"Know what you want when you come into the store," she said. "If you see something you want, get it then. Do not wait and come back for it because it might be gone."

"Watch your buggy. Don't leave it unattended." Employees will be moving carts to keep aisles clear, shoppers might see something they want in your buggy and take it or thieves may take advantage of unattended purses in the shopping cart.

* And Vickie Shockley, another Walmart toys department employee, added this tip for shoppers: "Be careful and courteous and nice. For some reason, we forget that at Christmas."