Thanksgiving, until now perhaps the least-commercialized holiday in the U.S., appears to be sliding toward a major holiday shopping day.
Target and Toys R Us have announced they will open their stores to shoppers Thanksgiving night in a prelude to Black Friday. Toys R Us will open at 8:00 p.m. while Target will open an hour later. They join Walmart and Sears, which made similar announcements last week.
Macy's and Kohl's said they will open their doors for Black Friday shoppers at midnight, as planned.
Previously, stores didn't open for Black Friday any earlier than midnight, lest they encroach on the family-centered holiday. Apparently that is now considered a quaint tradition.
Target says it believes the Thanksgiving night opening will provide an enjoyable after-dinner activity for the whole family. But increasingly retailers have begun to increase competition for Black Friday shoppers, who have declined in number over the last couple of years.
Research has shown that Black Friday might not be the best day to shop for the best bargains, beyond a few "door-buster" specials. And online retailers, such as Amazon.com, have already started offering their Black Friday specials.
Increasingly, the people who shop on Black Friday are those who just enjoy the hustle and bustle of the experience. They may or may not spend money on purchases on that particular day.
While shopping after dinner on Thanksgiving might seem like fun, consumers should remember store employees might not see it the same way. Most will be pulled away from their family festivities early.
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