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Get free shipping at these online retailers this Friday

Stores participating in Free Shipping Day include Walmart, Old Navy and Bass Pro Shops.

If you only shop online when there's free shipping, mark this Friday, Dec. 15, on your calendar.

It's the 10th annual Free Shipping Day and hundreds of retailers are expected to waive shipping fees on all orders.

Internet entrepreneur Luke Knowles started the made-up shopping holiday in 2008 and it has grown in popularity each year. Last year, more than 1,200 retailers participated.

While it's common for retailers to lower order minimums for free shipping during the holiday season, offering free shipping on any size order is rare.

The day's official website, www.freeshippingday.com, shows retailers that agree to offer free shipping on all orders. All the deals will be revealed 12:01 a.m. ET Dec. 15.

Stores already signed up include Barnes & Noble; Bass Pro Shops; Kohl's; Staples; Ulta; J.C. Penney; Lord & Taylor; Office Depot; Sephora; Shoe Carnival; Old Navy; Victoria's Secret; Walmart; World Market; and many more.

Lindsay Sakraida, director of content marketing for DealNews.com, believes Free Shipping Day has lost some of its appeal.

Target and Best Buy already have been offering free shipping on all orders for several weeks and several other stores have lowered thresholds.

“In some ways, Free Shipping Day is fairly insignificant because so many stores are offering free shipping throughout the month," Sakraida said, "and especially the week before Christmas where we start to see stores offer free or highly discounted expedited shipping.”

Still, it's a good day to shop since the day corresponds with FedEx's ground shipping deadline.

Online shopping tips

Here are some tips to get the best deals online this holiday season and every day:

Compare prices: Start with a simple Google search of the product you want or use a price-comparison website such as Bizrate.com or PriceGrabber.com.

Earn cash back: Ebates.com and TopCashback.com are my two favorite cashback websites and I always stop at one of the portals before I start my online shopping. It's easy to earn money on your purchases using the two sites or a credit card shopping portal that offers cash back. Or go through a shopping app such as Ibotta or Shopkickto earn money back.

In-store pickup: If the item is available locally, better your chances of getting it on time by choosing in-store pickup. Some stores also have ship to store as an option. Stores offering the option include Kohl's; Staples; Office Depot; Target; Toys R Us; Walmart; Macy's; Best Buy; J.C. Penney; Sears; and Kmart. Through Dec. 16 at BestBuy.com, get a free $10 savings code when you choose store pickup on orders $10 or more.

Price match: Some stores will match competitors' advertised prices if they sell the identical item and some allow you to match online competitors and Amazon.com's prices.Stores that match Amazon prices on the exact item are Walmart; Office Depot; Best Buy; Staples; Target; and Toys R Us.

Use coupon codes: Always look for coupon codes for discounts and free shipping.

Use browser extensions: Another way to earn cashback and find coupons is with browser extensions, including Honey and RetailMeNot.com Genie.

Read product ratings, reviews: Reading what other customers say about a product can provide helpful information.

Kelly Tyko is a columnist for Treasure Coast Newspapers and TCPalm.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. This column reflects her opinion.

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