Several big-box stores are eliminating the need for overnight camping this Black Friday by opening at 8 and 9 p.m. Thanksgiving night. Photo in public domain.FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25: The day after Thanksgiving has long been a shopper’s paradise, but this year’s “Black Friday” will start even earlier, sources report, as many big-box stores open their doors at 8 or 9 p.m. Thursday to accommodate consumers. (Get more facts on Black Friday at Wikipedia.)
While retail representatives argue that shoppers have voiced favor for the idea of buying all night instead of getting started in the wee hours of Friday morning, employees are objecting—and in a big way. (An article from the San Francisco Chronicle has more.) Hundreds of thousands have already signed petitions against late-night Thanksgiving openings, saying that family traditions are being compromised. Still, this year’s Black Friday weekend is expected to draw a whopping 14 million more people than last year’s; average holiday sales for 2011 are expected to increase 2.8 percent from 2010, even more than the annual national average.
