LIVE COVERAGEVisit timesfreepress.com any time after 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving for live updates from the holiday shopping frenzy.SHARE YOUR PHOTOSShare your holiday shopping pictures with us on Instagram by adding the hashtag #Timesfreepress.COMING THURSDAYA look at this year’s top toys in the Life section.
Sammi Shorter, full-time assistant manager, restocks jeans at Maurice’s at Hamilton Place mall Tuesday. Many stores are opening the night of Thanksgiving for this year’s shopping rush.The gap between giving thanks and grabbing deals will all but disappear this year, as the 2013 shopping season encroaches on Thanksgiving like never before.
Most major retailers and many malls have moved midnight openings forward four hours to 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving, and will stay open for 28 hours of nonstop shopping until they finally dim the lights and lock the doors later on Friday night, officials say.
Before the turkey cools and the gravy congeals, stuffed consumers will be lined up at stores across the United States to claim sharply-discounted TVs, kitchen appliances and video games. They’ll be assisted by retail employees who will work through the night rather than spend time with their families.
Black Thursday, for better or for worse, is slowly usurping Black Friday in the hearts and minds of many shoppers and retailers.