Afraid you won't make it for the early Black Friday sales? Ask for a wake-up call.

Yes, it's come to this, but I have to applaud the store's creativity.

If you're afraid you won't wake up in time for some of the Black Friday sales, some of which start so early, you almost wonder if it's worth going to bed, you could ask for a wake-up call.

J.C. Penney is offering such a service.

All you have to do is type in jcp.com/mobile in your browser, and you can ask JC Penney to call you on your cell phone at either 3, 4 or 5 a.m. Well, you're not asking anyone to call you; you're just typing in your phone number and choosing the time you want to get the call on Friday.

That said, I'm not entirely sure you shouldn't just set your alarm clock instead. Apparently, according to MSNBC, they'll also send you helpful shopping tips all season long. The way this shopping season is shaping up, that could be a lot of phone calls.

Geoff Williams is a freelance journalist and author.