For those doing the shopping for Thanksgiving dinner this year, the task of checking all those items off the list can be daunting.

There are only a few days left until the holiday, and grocery stores are seeing more shoppers taking advantage of pre-Thanksgiving specials and discounts.

Items like stuffing and cranberry sauce are often heavily marked-down, and many stores have special prices on turkey.

With crowds emptying the shelves, many find it helpful to have a strategy.

"I like fresh stuff, keep it as fresh as I can, and then here, I'm trying to get some of the stuff I can get ahead of time, and then come back again on Tuesday and get the fresh stuff," said Edie Gamble, holiday shopper

For those who need some last minute ingredients, there's good news — some stores like Tops and Walmart will have their doors open on Thanksgiving Day.