Black Friday 2010 will be a test of the wills, and the frenzy is building up as retailers and wholesalers alike are getting ready to pull out all the stops for a profitable year’s end. Many companies are already showing signs of getting their advertising cranked up to meet the early shoppers with their best deals. Some of the most interesting things to happen during this period is the rise in iPhone and Android app upgrades, that seem to be coordinated with the shopping season. All in all, it’s going to be an exciting year, and the early birds will most likely catch the worm, as usual.

Companies like IBM are taken rather seriously when they make announcements, and given the tech giant’s position in the market, they are also able to influence things somewhat as well. Recent reports are coming back telling of new hope for recession-weary electronics retailers, and IBM is even going so far as to be betting on it, by forecasting that consumer spending on electronics and appliances will be “larger-than-usual” in November. Analytics-based forecasts produced by IBM analysts who have had their ears to the ground are reporting findings that urge retailers to be prepared for a substantial pre-holiday sales event that could catch the unprepared ones off guard.

“A robust Black Friday and Cyber Monday,” is being forcast by Global Business Services partner and IBM retail analytics leader Michael Haydock. “Retailers that staff up and stock up for November and invest in advertising are likely to have a substantial advantage in the marketplace.”

IBM predicts consumer electronics and appliance sales to total $10.164 billion this November, a 4% year over year bump, with $8.688 billion for consumer electronics and $1.476 billion for appliances.

Predicted sales in December are being set at around $13.800 billion, which represents a 4% increase from 2009′s numbers. From the looks of things, the big winners will be consumer electronics at $12.197 billion, and appliances, with an expected score of $1.603 billion.

Retailers everywhere are altering hours, prices, and staffing levels in a slow dance of cautious anticipation, as they draw nearer to the Christmas shopping season’s notorious unofficial start.

Back to School was pretty strong, with the upcoming Thanksgiving looking pretty strong. As things continue looking up, the retailers who are fortifying their defenses will reap the rewards of an early sales drive by bargain-hungry consumers.

Kmart and Sears seem to know it, as they have both been reported to already have online ads in the works, advertising early holiday sale prices. Sears is even going to be calling their Black Friday sales “Pre-Black Friday sales,” in the hopes of catching the eyes of consumers with a desire to snag deals earlier. The retailer’s in-store program of “Xtra Points” will also reflect bigger savings for those who make their move before the usual holiday rush dates.

Retail giants Best Buy and Wal-Mart are also tuning up and getting their engines ready for the races. Along with  Macy’s, Toys “R” Us, and Target, these stores will be opening very early – at 5AM, or even earlier – to make the most of things.

And then there are the apps. Both the iPhone and Android-based mobile handsets will be seeing a surge of holiday-sale apps aimed squarely at making the shopping experience a bit more wired – when shoppers are feeling tired. For now, there is a limited number of apps in circulation that offer the Black Friday experience, but it should be changing soon enough, as developers prepare to release the latest flurry of holiday sales software for the smartphone. These apps may come in the form of upgrades to existing ones, or as standalone programs with a shelf life. Regardless of which way they go, the secret to success this year will be to get going early in 2010 for consumers who want to see the best deals of the year.