Many Major Retailers to Get a Jump on Black Friday Frenzy

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Black Friday
It is now common knowledge that, in the world of American retail, the day after Thanksgiving — the official start of the Christmas shopping season — is called Black Friday; as the holidays are the time of year when most retail businesses go into profit, or “into the black.”

It has become common practice over the years for many retailers to open their doors to the public as early as the midnight of Black Friday, inciting frenzy with the promise of massive discounts and sales.

Last year America’s largest retailer, Walmart, began their Black Friday sales at 6pm on Thanksgiving evening, remaining open throughout the night.

While the move was not without its critics, it worked out well, and now it seems that Thanksgiving evenings of lethargic digestion with pants unbuttoned may not be what’s on the agenda for ever more shoppers. Kohl’s, Sears, Macy’s, Staples, many local malls across America, and most recently Target, have announced that they too will be opening their doors at 6pm on Turkey Day for a good, old fashioned, all-night shopping frenzy.

Best Buy, who will open their doors at 5pm Thanksgiving evening, will close for the overnight. A company spokesman explained, “This will give our employees an opportunity to rest and get some sleep.” Adding, “It also gives us an opportunity to clean and refresh our stores between Thursday night and Friday morning.”

In the push for an ever earlier and earlier start to the holiday shopping season, Walmart held a one-day, online, pre-Black Friday sale last week. Amazon, J.C.Penney, and Sears are among the many who have been promoting their own pre-Black Friday sales.

Time Magazine writes about all of this here.