Black Friday creep creeps up again with Macy's

It's still more than two weeks before Halloween, which of course means it's time for Thanksgiving shopping creep to creep even earlier than past years. For the first time in its history, most Macy's stores will be open on Thanksgiving day.

Macy's is joining other national retailers who have sought to pump up sales by opening their doors on Thanksgiving day. Toys 'R' Us, Walmart, Sears, Target and Kmart all opened on Thanksgiving day at 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. last year.

No turkey until your shopping is done.

The holiday hours are in response to consumer's demands, Macy's said. "In response to interest from customers who prefer to start their shopping early, most Macy’s stores will open at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving evening, consistent with many other retailers," the company said in a press release.

Macy's workers have the opportunity to volunteer for shifts they want, the company said.

As a business reporter, I've seen holiday creep on Black Friday first-hand. I've reported on Black Friday for three years. The first year, I remember the sales started at 3 a.m. or so. I went to bed after dinner, got up super-early, and fought my way through the crowds and the long day.

The next year, there were midnight openings to cover, so there was no sleeping after the Thanksgiving meal. Then, last year, there were sales starting at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving day, meaning there was barely time to finish the turkey before I had to be out the door. I saw people waiting in line for discount TVs eating their mashed potatoes and sweet potato pie off of Styrofoam plates.

So, it doesn't seem like there will be any stopping Black Friday creep, as the arms race retailers find themselves in won't change. Hours open equals dollars made, and if one company isn't open while its rivals are, it's likely to see the results sock its bottom line.