Black Friday 2017: Illinois' Best Deals

Thanksgiving is Thursday, which means the official start of the holiday shopping season is also around the corner. And if you're looking to get the most bang for your buck this Black Friday, we're here to help.

WalletHub has released its 2017 cheat sheet on where shoppers can find the best bargains this coming Friday. The personal finance website ranked 35 of the country's biggest retailers, surveying nearly 10,000 deals being offered on Black Friday. From appliances to video games, the study also listed the stores offering the largest advertised discounts in various product categories.

Black Friday 2017: Store Hours In Illinois

The overall average discount from retailers for Black Friday is 37 percent, down from 39 percent last year, according to WalletHub. Budget-conscious shoppers should target that as a threshold in order to avoid consumer traps.

So which stores have the best deals?

Department stores Kohl's and JCPenney have the biggest discounts available on Black Friday. Both major chains are offering an average discount of 66.3 percent, according to WalletHub.

The study found that Kohl's has the best deals on jewelry, with discounts as high as 77 percent, while JCPenney is the best place for deals on consumer packaged goods, with discounts as high as 61 percent. Kohl's also ranked third for furniture deals and fourth for deals on toys. JCPenney came in third place for deals on apparel and accessories, as well as deals on computers and phones, fourth in jewelry and fifth in toys.

Here's the full list of stores and their average shopping discounts for Black Friday in Illinois. Want to save even more? Subscribe to DealTown Patch and be the first to get alerts on big deals and gift guides.

Click here for the full report.

1. Kohl's: 66.3%
2. JCPenney: 66.3%
3. Sears: 50.1%
4. Macy's: 45.6%
5. Amazon: 36.8%
6. Target: 36.2%
7. Kmart: 35.8%
8. Dick's Sporting Goods: 35.1%
9. Office Depot and OfficeMax: 34.5%
10. Walmart: 34.2%
11. HP: 34.0%
12. Samsung: 34.0%
13. Dollar General: 33.5%
14. Lowe's: 33.0%
15. Meijer: 32.4%
16. Staples: 32.3%
17. Guitar Center: 30.0%
18. Best Buy: 30.0%
19. Microsoft: 29.6%
20. Dell Home: 29.3%
21. Newegg: 28.3%
22. Big Lots: 24.1%
23. Cabela's: 23.8%
24. Harbor Freight: 22.5%
25. Costco: 21.9%
26. Ace Hardware: 21.5%
27. Bass Pro Shops: 20.8%

Top photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images

By Kristina Houck, Patch Staff