NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- In five short days, it could be the beginning of the end for some of the nation's malls.

"Certainly malls are going to be very damaged by Christmas. It could be all over for some of them very soon," said Britt Beemer, founder and chairman of America's Research Group.

Black Friday - or the day after Thanksgiving - is traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Retailers typically mark the start of the holiday gift shopping period with much fanfare and gimmicks, all in an effort to bag big sales on that day.

This year, there's a much more serious undertone to Black Friday. For malls, it's not about holiday festivities but about survivability by year-end.