Thanksgiving Thursday is the new Black Friday this year, with stores opening earlier than ever for shoppers who can’t resist doorbuster deals on flatscreen TVs, laptops, video games, toys, and other popular gift items. While there has only been one Black Friday ad leak , holiday hours for major retailers like Walmart, Macy’s, and Best Buy are already posted, with most stores opening before you can finish your pumpkin pie .
I made this meme in honor of Black Friday pic.twitter.com/33tX4tmhgA
— Bri DePalma (@Bringaofdawn) November 30, 2013
Macy’s was the first to announce that it would be opening at 6 p.m. on November 27, smack dab in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner. NBC News reports that the retailer’s pre- Black Friday opening time is two hours earlier than last year, and employees are not required to work — the shifts are said to be voluntary.
Many Super Walmart stores are open 365 days a year, but for those who don’t have the super-sized variety of the popular retail store nearby, The Black Friday reports that Walmart’s doorbuster deals will start at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving, although that has not been confirmed. Last year, deals were staggered throughout the night and well into Friday so shoppers could purchase the doorbuster deals without getting trampled by crowds of holiday shoppers.
Best Buy and K-Mart will also jump on the early-opening bandwagon, with K-Mart said to be opening Thursday morning at 8 a.m., while Best Buy reportedly opening their doors at 6 p.m. that night. BF Ads states that Belk may start their deals even earlier than the rest. Their holiday deals will reportedly start on Wednesday, November 26, two days earlier than the traditional Black Friday sales.
I don’t normally post a lot of non-NFL jokes, but this Black Friday meme made me LOL: pic.twitter.com/hCcJNhMFgD
— Shane Richardson (@ShaneNFL) November 20, 2013
Target has yet to release any information about its Black Friday sale . It’s likely that they will also open on Thanksgiving — last year they opened at 8 p.m. and had online doorbuster deals, with free shipping, available hours before the the store opened. Opening times for JC Penney, Toys R Us, and Kohl’s have not been released either, but consumers can expect early opening times for all three stores.
For those who don’t like waiting in line, or simply want to digest their Thanksgiving meal and watch some football, there’s always Cyber Monday. The online version of Black Friday is becoming more popular every year with shoppers finding just as many deals offered online as they do in the store.
Whether you choose to head out on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, or shop online, Consumers Affairs reports that holidays shoppers will spend more than ever on gifts this year.
“The Accenture annual holiday shopping survey shows 25% of U.S. consumers plan to spend more during the holidays than last year. According to the survey, the average consumer will spend an estimated $718 on gifts.”
Will you head out to start your holiday shopping on Thanksgiving Day, or will you wait to see what deals pop up throughout the holiday shopping season?
[Images: Brooklyn Buzz, Columbian]