Retailers to Begin Black Friday Sales on Thanksgiving

If you have a black belt in Black Friday shopping, listen up: Area big-box retailers are gearing up to dazzle bargain hunters even earlier this year—starting Thanksgiving Day.

Walmart, Target and Kmart are planning all-out holiday shopping assaults.

Beginning at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22, Walmart will offer holiday gifts for the entire family, while supplies last. That includes an electric scooter for $79, a steam mop for $39 or men's jeans for $9.50.

Target's deals begin an hour later, at 9 p.m. According to an ad leaked online, the best deals will be for a Nook, TV and Nikon camera.

Kmart's mega-deals will begin in-store throughout the day on Thanksgiving, with special deals beginning at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving Day continuing until 3 a.m.

Walmart will offer its biggest deals from 10 - 11 p.m. Thanksgiving night. The store will offer three items at low prices — an iPad, a TV and a Blu-Ray Player — and if the store runs out, you can still buy them but must register for them online by midnight and they'll be delivered to your local store.

According to TheBlackFriday.com, several other stores will also have "doorbuster" sales Thursday night or at midnight Friday, including some Toys R Us, Best Buy, Kohl's, hhgregg, and Macy's stores. 

For the early morning traditionalists, several stores open at 4 a.m. with special sales.

If you want to keep up with all of the Black Friday deals, you can check your favorite retailers' Facebook pages.

If there's an upside to spreading out the Black Friday wheeling and dealing, it could possibly lessen the early-morning mega-crowds. A Walmart seasonal employee was trampled to death by a crowd estimated at 2,000 shoppers four years ago at a store in Long Island, N.Y., when its doors opened at 5 a.m., according to The New York Times.

Want to avoid the holiday shopping mega-crowds altogether? Look for Cyber Monday deals on Nov. 26 or visit your local Mom 'n Pop retailers on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 24.