Holiday shopping frenzy to start sooner

Black Thursday doesn’t exactly have the same ring as Black Friday.

But with the ongoing trend of stores opening earlier each year, Black Thursday could soon become a reality. This year, a number of major retail chains have pushed back their pre-dawn opening on the day after Thanksgiving and in at least one case, they’re opening on the evening of the holiday.

“A lot of the box stores are opening on Thanksgiving Day,” said Rebecca Flach, a spokeswoman with the Retail Council of New York. “They’re just aware that there are a lot of shoppers out there itching to get a start on their holiday shopping.”

The Toys R Us locations in Clifton Park, Colonie and at Crossgates Mall in Guilderland will open to shoppers at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The company decided to start earlier this year in the hope of getting even more customers through the door.

Walmart also will open earlier this year, though the giant retailer will at least wait until midnight before opening area locations. But the so-called door-buster deals won’t be offered until 5 a.m. Previously, Walmart opened its doors to shoppers at 5 a.m., so company officials are hoping to draw an even greater crowd by opening earlier.

Walmart’s Black Friday advertisement was leaked online recently and includes a number of deals on everything from personal electronics to apparel. Items being offered as early bird specials include HP laptops selling for less than $400 and a 40-inch Samsung high-definition LCD television for under $500.

Even some malls are opening earlier than normal, keeping with the trend of their anchor stores starting business during the pre-dawn hours after Thanksgiving. Sears, Boscov’s and Macy’s will open at 4 a.m. in Colonie Center, while the mall itself will open two hours later.

Ken Huge, Colonie Center’s general manager, said the 6 a.m. opening is an hour earlier than last year. He said the earlier hours of operation are aimed at helping smaller retailers capitalize on the massive customer traffic that is generated by the anchor stores on Black Friday.

“So there will be plenty of fun for everyone, and plenty of deals as well,” he said.

The National Retail Federation is predicting a moderate growth in holiday retail sales this year after lackluster receipts in 2009 and dismal sales in 2008. The world’s largest retail trade association is forecasting a 2.3 percent increase in sales this year for a total of $447.1 billion.

This growth would be slightly lower than the 10-year average holiday sales increase of 2.5 percent. But it would be a dramatic improvement over the 0.4 percent increase last year, according to the federation.

“While many consumers will be wishing for apparel and electronics this holiday season, retailers are hoping the holidays bring sustainable economic growth,” said federation President and CEO Matthew Shay in a statement. “Though the retail industry is on stronger footing than last year, companies are closely watching key economic indicators like employment and consumer confidence before getting too optimistic that the recession is behind them.”

And keeping the doors open longer on Black Friday could help retailers achieve greater sales. Flach said sales during the early openings this year will act as a barometer for future years; if retailers see more traffic, they’re likely to open even earlier next year.

“The consumers will tell us what they’re willing to do,” she said. “They’re in the driver’s seat and they’ll tell us whether or not they’re willing to start shopping on Thanksgiving Day.”