Target Corporation is joining numerous other retailers across the country in getting a jump on Black Friday.

The Minneapolis-based company on Friday announced plans for a pre-Thanksgiving, four-day sale that will feature “deep discounts” on more than 170 items, including toys, electronics, and movies.

For those who prefer to shop online, there are plenty of deals to be had there too. Target said that it will offer online-only, Thanksgiving Day deals that won't be available at brick-and-mortar stores during its post-Thanksgiving sale. The company also will launch what it's calling its “largest free-shipping event ever” from November 21 through December 11. When guests spend $50 or more on Target.com during that period, they can get free shipping on more than 800,000 items.

On Black Friday, Target will offer 25 “doorbuster” deals-plus savings on apparel, electronics, entertainment, home, toys, and other items. Additionally, guests who spend at least $100 before 10 a.m. on Black Friday will receive a $10 gift card for a future day of shopping.

As another added bonus, Target's annual holiday toy catalog will feature 10 percent more toys than in previous years and include 48 coupons-including 50 percent off brands like Thomas & Friends, FurReal by Hasbro, and the Trio Building Systems by Fisher-Price. New in this year's catalog is a tear-out kids' insert designed as a way for children to highlight the items they most want.

Savvy Black Friday bargain hunters can get a head start this year by printing out store maps that will be available on Target.com. The maps can also be sent to smartphones to help shoppers navigate the store and identify where the doorbusters are on the morning of Black Friday. Target employees will provide printed maps to guests as they wait in line Friday morning for the doors to open.

Target has always closely guarded its Black Friday ad insert until Thanksgiving Day. Last year, amid tightened consumer spending prompted by the recession, some retailers-including Best Buy-released their day-after-Thanksgiving deals early, hoping to inspire some early excitement over Black Friday deals. Target, however, was not one of them.

Still, the company reported that sales during last year's two-day, post-Thanksgiving sale were better than expected. Internet tracking firm ComScore, Inc., found that Target was among the five U.S. retailers whose Web sites were the most visited on Black Friday. Another was Richfield-based Best Buy.

Target-which operates a retail segment and a credit-card segment-now serves customers at 1,752 stores in 49 states nationwide and on its Web site. It is Minnesota's second-largest public company based on its revenue, which totaled $65.4 billion in its most recently completed fiscal year.