We all remember the impact Macy's store hours had on Black Friday discussions last year when we broke the news that they'd be opening at 8 PM on Thursday -right after Thanksgiving Dinner. Some of their hottest while-supplies-last doorbusters were even more highly coveted due to the painful choice of whether to shop or stay for dessert.
Macy's wasn't the first store to have Thursday hours for Black Friday; Old Navy, and Lowe's Home Improvement started their sales on Thursday morning last year, and some stores announced "marathon hours" that started Thanksgiving morning and remained open through the night of Black Friday.
Last year, there was an overwhelming online response from holiday shoppers and BFAds commenters. Some of them were upset, stating that retailers shouldn't edge in on Thanksgiving famiy time while others were elated that they had the opportunity to get their shopping done even earlier. No matter what side of the debate they were on, customers were talking about Macy's early opening hours for weeks - and the trend continues in 2014. In an email sent out to Macy's employees last Thursday, the department store giant announced that they are opening their doors at 6PM on Thursday 11/27. Macy's executives requested that employees volunteer to work, stating that "there is no question that...customers are eager to begin their holiday shopping on Thanksgiving Day."
The company's official word via this USA Today article was that this year's even earlier start time was "...in response to the significant, sustained customer interest in last year's opening on Thanksgiving" despite the email itself citing "competitive pressure" as their reasoning. Whatever their motivations may be, Macy's stores will not be the only ones to open around Thanksgiving dinner time this year. Early openings appear to be a continuing trend -and we'll keep updating as the stores announce them.
