A few stores, malls opening later on Thanksgiving

“The importance of Thanksgiving weekend to both retailers and consumers will never change”, said NRF President and Chief Executive Matthew Shay, in a written statement.

This year, many stores and companies have stated they are not opening on Thanksgiving, so employees can spend the holiday with family and friends before the Black Friday rush. “They have [to match last year’s sales numbers], and how do you do that unless you give something away?” Numerous chains are even open on Thanksgiving – a practice I despise.

The rock-bottom “doorbuster”, prices are reserved for Thursday night and Friday morning, the day after Thanksgiving.

It would appear that REI wants to flip the bird, er, turkey to Black Friday, a time of the year that’s traditionally busiest and most lucrative for competing firms.

While many retailers reserve their best Black Friday deals for in-store shoppers, Amazon.com, of course, offers all of its Black Friday bargains online – and its prices often meet or beat brick-and-mortar rivals. “I think people are trying to, at this point, maybe get a little bit of rush, a little head start on holiday shopping, just because the last few years has tended not to really start on Friday anymore”.

Black Friday shoppers generally look for big-ticket items such as flat screen TVs that carry a larger discount than apparel promotions, said Charlie O’Shea, retail analyst for Moody’s. For example, a 30 percent off all clothing sale on Black Friday will be 40 percent off Cyber Monday.

“There is so much attention to the online now”, said Brent Shelton, a spokesman for the Black Friday deals website, BfAds.net. That’s the Black Friday tradition, when retailers draw off-work shoppers into the stores with deep discounts, putting their ledgers into the black for the year. You can also check out a preview of their Black Friday deals here. “Even for the stores that are closed on Thanksgiving, their online sites are going to be working”. Access to Black Friday deals comparison databases are available on the web or through apps. The digital versions of Black Friday ads released by stores like Walmart, Target and Best Buy are interactive.

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, where it is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season.

As a matter of fact, Black Friday turned out to be the day on which shoppers begin to see prices spike on select items.

To take advantage of the 1-hour guarantee, you have to be in the Walmart store and in the 1-hr guarantee line by 7:00 PM Thanksgiving Day.