Macy's today became the second major retailer -- after Target -- to announce plans to open at midnight on Thanksgiving, rather than in t...
The announcements come after a bold move by Sears last year to open early Thanksgiving Day. That retailer has not yet announced this year's holiday hours.
Soon, we'll just call this annual holiday shopping kickoff Black Thursday.
By opening at midnight or earlier, these chains hope to grab a larger share of sales before other stores even open their doors Black Friday morning.
To be sure, most Black Friday specials can already be found online at midnight. But to get the most coveted doorbuster specials -- stocked in limited quantities -- shoppers have gotten up early to brave the cold and crowds.
Now can most people just have a cup of coffee and stay up an hour or two later? Will there be doorbuster specials this year at the witching hour, and again at 4 a.m.? Is there any reason to hit these places twice?
All of this remains to be seen, as most retailers' Black Friday ads have yet to be leaked to deal sites.
Soon, we'll just call this annual holiday shopping kickoff Black Thursday.
By opening at midnight or earlier, these chains hope to grab a larger share of sales before other stores even open their doors Black Friday morning.
To be sure, most Black Friday specials can already be found online at midnight. But to get the most coveted doorbuster specials -- stocked in limited quantities -- shoppers have gotten up early to brave the cold and crowds.
Now can most people just have a cup of coffee and stay up an hour or two later? Will there be doorbuster specials this year at the witching hour, and again at 4 a.m.? Is there any reason to hit these places twice?
All of this remains to be seen, as most retailers' Black Friday ads have yet to be leaked to deal sites.
Opening at midnight, however, could help Target, Macy's and other retailers control the stampeding crowds of wild-eyed discount shoppers.
Target is reportedly taking other measures to cut down on the trampling and elbowing for the best deals, letting just 30 people into the stores every 20 seconds when the store first opens.
As part of its announcement today, Macy's also gave a sneak peek of the kinds of deals shoppers would see in its Black Friday sale, including:
More of those deals can be found here. Good deals for sure, but there was nothing to whip hard-core Black Friday shoppers up in a frenzy. The best deals will be leaked to websites and social media in the weeks ahead. Here at Smart Spending, we'll help you track the season's deals and duds.
Have you started your holiday shopping yet?
Target is reportedly taking other measures to cut down on the trampling and elbowing for the best deals, letting just 30 people into the stores every 20 seconds when the store first opens.
As part of its announcement today, Macy's also gave a sneak peek of the kinds of deals shoppers would see in its Black Friday sale, including:
- $199 ½-carat diamond studs in white gold.
- A free digital video camera with $65 fragrance purchase.
- $68.99 Cuisinart 7-cup food processor.
More of those deals can be found here. Good deals for sure, but there was nothing to whip hard-core Black Friday shoppers up in a frenzy. The best deals will be leaked to websites and social media in the weeks ahead. Here at Smart Spending, we'll help you track the season's deals and duds.
Have you started your holiday shopping yet?
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