Add three more retailers to the ranks of those hit by Black Friday Creep: Target, Macy's and Kohl's will both open at midnight the day after Thanksgiving for the first time this year.
No longer is lining up at 4, 5 or 6 a.m. for Black Friday deals enough. Store opening times have edged earlier over the past few years, with many retailers opting to open their doors the minute Thanksgiving officially ends.
Some retailers have pushed even earlier. Last year, Sears and Kmart were open on Thanksgiving day itself for the first time, and Toys "R" Us opened at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
"The holidays bring hectic schedules and tight budgets, so extending store hours and offering lots of additional ways to save makes Target a great choice,” said Tina Schiel, Target's executive vice president for stores, in a press release. Target will also have longer hours the day before and after Christmas this year, the company said.
Target is also experimenting in Denver with having stores open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thanksgiving day, according to reports.
Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren said in a statement that Macy's decided to open earlier this Black Friday (most stores opened at 4 a.m. last year) "in response to our customers’ eagerness to shop early for great deals."
Kohl's also said this week that it will be open from 12 a.m. Friday, Nov. 25 to midnight the following day, doing business for the full 24 hours following Thanksgiving. This will be the retailer's earliest opening ever on Black Friday.
Retailers are competing for shoppers' dollars this year as unemployment remains high and calling the recovery "weak" sounds generous. Most forecasts have called for moderate growth in consumer spending this holiday season compared to last year, though none have predicted anything spectacular.
Black Friday (which got its name, at least apocryphally, by being the day retailers went from being in the "red" to the "black"), is often, but not always, the single biggest day for consumer spending. Last year, Black Friday sales edged up less than 1 percent, to about $10.7 billion.
How early is too early? And what's the earliest you'd go to a store and line up for a Black Friday deal?
Note: Post updated to reflect Kohl's opening
I like it. I'd rather stay up late and shop then have to set the alarm at 4am Friday.
ReplyDeleteOn another note though, I don't like stores opening on Thanksgiving Day. I hate that retail employees have to work on such a family-oriented day.
People can be crazy trying to get deals on things they do NOT even need, sometimes taking the day off work to do so, dragging their young kids out of the house at 4am. Then they spend the next 6 months paying off the credit card bills. I'm in my 50's and have NEVER shopped at all on Thanksgiving weekend. If I am off work then it is time to spend with family. Don't buy stuff for yourself or your home that you don't ALREADY need. Set a limit for holiday gifts - one gift per person, perhaps two for a child, and a dollar amount; and why do spouses need to give gifts to each other? Gifts at unexpected times are more of a treasure. Save up CASH all year, a little each paycheck, and don't take credit cards to the stores. Think about how much more important it is to be able to, say, make sure your elderly parent can pay for their medicine, get your dog his heartworm pills, pay your car insurance on time, take your kids to an event, or buy a school item for your child. Mama already has a half dozen scented candles, Aunt Whomever does not need a Seen On TV gadget, cousin Whatsis's daughter really won't get alot of wear out of another sweater, and your brother probably would like that Home Depot gift card but then feels he has to reciprocate with a gift of the same value which is over his budget. It is a vicious cycle. Many women keep extra wrapped gifts on hand so they can give a gift when someone gives them something that was unexpected. Yes it's good for the economy, but what happens when all these shoppers become unemployed and declare bankrupty?
ReplyDeleteI for one will NOT shop in a department store open on Thanksgiving nor on that opens at midnight to get that extra dollar from the consumers. Let their workers have a real holiday with their families and/or loved ones. Do not make them work on Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteMy rule is the same rule every year, avoid all shopping malls and department stores till Monday (at the earliest).
ReplyDeleteAlso, I believe the replies already received fail to realize that even if the store isn't open on Thanksgiving Day, people are working there setting-up the store for the next day.
The crass commercialism has already commenced, and it's only the end of October. Stores like Lowe's, Home Depot and Wal Mart have had Christmas decorations on site for days already. Squeeze every available minute out of every shopping day, wring every possible cent from the consumer. And consumers keep falling for it year after year, while losing sight of the whole concept of the Christmas season. It's sad.
ReplyDeleteI work retail and I do all the signs (along with my team) for the early sales. We set up the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. Our shift is normally 4pm-11:30ish pm. Our store wont open before 3:30am on Black Friday and I for one am happy about that because I do not want my holiday ruined any more than it already is by working retail. I do not want to offend anyone but from the point of view as a worker, it is our holiday too, we did not want to be at work getting yelled at because we did not have the color or size you wanted. The nicer you are to your cashier the nicer she will be to you.
ReplyDeleteOh and if you have kids and are not bringing them shopping, bring the stroller with you anyway. Stores always run out of carts and on a big sale day you are not suppose to take them out of the store. Your own stroller is your best friend on busy shopping days.