Stores Entice Shoppers Early --- To Undercut Internet Sales, Stores Offered Black Friday Deals on Thanksgiving
Black Friday didn't wait on the calendar this year as retailers invaded Thanksgiving with their much-hyped deep discounts and hopeful shoppers joined long lines a day early.</br></br>Despite an outcry from traditionalists and some employees, national chains including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp., Sears Holdings Corp. and Toys "R" Us were opening their doors on Thursday. Others, like Best Buy Co., were waiting until midnight.</br></br>The move was aimed at keeping up with online retailers, which last year took aim at the quintessentially bricks-and-mortar holiday by offering Thanksgiving Day deals.</br></br>Retailers are racing to claim a bigger share of consumers' wallets. The long weekend can account for 15% or more of a chain store's holiday sales.</br></br>While consumer confidence has improved, shoppers remain cautious, and the industry expects to be fighting over a slower-growing pie this year. Retail sales over the holidays are expected to expand just 4.1% to $586 billion, the lowest growth rate since the U.S. was coming out of a recession in 2009, according to the National Retail Federation. Last year, seasonal sales rose 5.6%.