Could Black Friday be going the way of the dinosaurs?

Online shopping isn’t, either, but I can’t help doing a lot of that anyway.

With big-box stores such as Dick’s Sporting Goods and Kmart opening on Thanksgiving Day and others showering us with pre-Black Friday deals, Black Friday ain’t what it used to be.

Store shelves began twinkling with a Christmas glow about the same time Halloween Jack-O-Lanterns made an appearance, and retailers have proven they reward shoppers who take the early holiday shopping bait.

Somewhat interestingly, the ICSC survey found that approximately two-fifths of spending planned for the Thanksgiving weekend will be on merchandise not intended as holiday gifts.

Retailers have been preparing for this day weeks in advance and have ample supplies of what they expect to be top sellers. “Read up on your credit card’s price matching policy, and then consider buying your picks early”, she said.

Stores aren’t just starting their sales earlier, but stretching them out.

The day after Thanksgiving became Black Friday, traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year. To maximize savings, strategize where you can buy each commodity for electronics at the best price.

WITH THANKSGIVING dishes cleared away and most people still sound asleep, Danyl Patterson would rise in the pre-dawn darkness and head out in search of Black Friday deals. Several retail stores have already announced their Black Friday deals which are sure to make shoppers everywhere not miss out on these deals.

Say what you will about the origin of Thanksgiving, every year sentiments about self-entitled pilgrims seem to grow and distaste for the holiday abounds.

“The REI decision is the beginning of a trend” of retailers rethinking how they want to react to Black Friday, said Lee Peterson, executive vice president for brand, strategy, and design at retail consulting firm WD Partners in Columbus, Ohio. “Black Fridays are great for people who love the big get-togethers, but it’s not for me anymore”.

Amazon China’s Black Friday comes close on the heels of the Nov 11 shopping festival, in which e-commerce behemoth Alibaba Group Holding Ltd alone generated 91.2 billion yuan ($14.29 billion) in gross merchandise volume during the 24-hour event. “Black Friday Starts Now”, the struggling retailer proclaimed just a day after it reported weak sales in its third quarter.

Target published its Black Friday deals on November 9.

Here’s a quick guide on the best time to act to buy toys, clothes and other items, according to Adobe’s analysis.

Those retailers can’t risk losing sales and market share to a rival by remaining closed on Thanksgiving.

Better Business Bureau advises shoppers to develop a budget before going shopping – and to be aware of potential pitfalls or downright fraud. Think before you take an extra item to the register, and consider a few questions: do I need this?

Be aware of the people around you. Before you buy, research product pricing and features online. “Next year I see even less retailers opening on Thanksgiving and going to the way it was with them opening 6 a.m. Friday – and online retail plays a big part of that”.

So it would seem like one side of the solution to keeping families together on turkey day is for companies to find in their hearts to not open and keep Black Friday on Friday.

With so many shoppers chasing discounts throughout the month, he’s not sure he’ll keep up his Black Friday trek in coming years. “But depending upon economic climate of the country at any given time, you were darn grateful you had a job”.