Toys "R" Us, Target to Open Most Stores on Thanksgiving--Update

   By Tess Stynes 
 

Toys "R" Us Inc. and Target Corp. (TGT) on Monday unveiled plans to open doors to holiday shoppers on Thanksgiving Day, joining a growing list of retailers aiming to extend the much-hyped so-called Black-Friday buying frenzy in the U.S.

Target, the nation's second-largest retailer by sales behind rival Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), plans to open its stores at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, while some other retailers have plans to open even earlier in efforts to attract shoppers.

Also on Monday, Toys "R" Us said it plans to open most of its stores at 5 p.m. on Nov. 28, adding that its reward-card members will be able to get some Thanksgiving deals ahead of the holiday on Nov. 27.

Best Buy Co. (BBY) on Thursday said more than 1,000 of its stores will open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

In recent weeks, Kohl's Corp. (KSS), Macy's Inc. (M) and OfficeMax Inc. (OMX) also have said many of their stores will open at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

Meanwhile, Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD) said most of its Sears and Kmart stores will open Thanksgiving Day, with Sears stores opening at 8 p.m. and Kmart stores opening at 6 a.m. and staying open for 41 hours straight through Black Friday.

Retailers in recent years have been trying to get a jump on deeply discounted Black Friday shopping by opening on Thanksgiving, in an effort to boost struggling sales during the slow economic recovery. Traditional brick-and-mortar companies are also trying to keep up with online retailers, which offer Thanksgiving-Day deals.

Last year, despite an outcry from some employees and traditionalists, national chains including Toys "R" Us, Wal-Mart, Target and Sears opened doors on Thanksgiving Thursday. Best Buy, along with Macy's and Kohl's, waited until midnight.

Write to Tess Stynes at [e-mail]

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