Business & Tech
Black Friday Shopping Starts Earlier This Year
Macy's, Kohl's, Target and Best Buy will open their doors at midnight the night of Thanksgiving.
It will be a little harder to tell where Thanksgiving ends and Black Friday begins this year as many big box stores plan to open their doors at midnight Nov. 25 in preparation for the biggest shopping day of the year.
Macy's, Kohl's, Target and Best Buy will open earlier than ever before. Last year, stores opened at 4 a.m. This year, many stores are opening at midnight instead, luring shoppers with "early-bird deals" and more.
Target is changing its hours this year for customer convenience, spokeswoman Kristy Welker said.
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"Every holiday at Target is different," Welker said. "We work hard to ensure the entire experience delivers on what our guests want and need. We have heard from our guests that they want Target to be their first stop for their Black Friday shopping. By opening at midnight, we are making it easier than ever for our guests to shop the great assortment we offer, when they want to shop."
In response to Target's announcement, the Washington Post reported than an online petition protesting the midnight opening circulated among Target employees received 37,000 signatures.
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While all Best Buy stores will open at midnight Friday, select stores will kick off the holiday shopping season Thursday night with an outdoor screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. The movie will start around 9 p.m., with giveaways and refreshments preceding it at 8 p.m.
Nearby participating Best Buy locations are in Auburn Hills, Novi, Twelve Oaks, Roseville and Westland. Best Buy's Bloomfield Hills location on Telegraph did not plan to participate.
Meanwhile, Kohl's nationwide — including the Coolidge Highway location in Troy — will also open at midnight. From midnight to 1 p.m. Friday, the department store will offer specials on 500 items storewide.
What do shoppers think about this?
On the Birmingham Patch Facebook page, Moses Fridman said while he sometimes indulges in a late-night run to Staples, there are limits when it comes to Black Friday shopping.
"Too early: anything before midnight," he said.
The closest participating stores include:
- Macy's: 2800 W. Big Beaver Rd. in Troy (Somerset Collection)
- Target: 1301 Coolidge Hwy. in Troy
- Best Buy: 2169 S. Telegraph Rd. in Bloomfield Hills
- Kohl's: 1265 Coolidge Hwy. in Troy
In Birmingham, and , both on Woodward, plan to open at 5:30 a.m. Friday.
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