Who needs to wait for Black Friday to kick off the holiday selling season when you can open your stores on Thanksgiving evening? After all, consumers will be well-rested after their turkey day naps.
"Our customers told us they would rather stay up late to shop than get up early, so we're going to hold special events on Thanksgiving and Black Friday," said Duncan Mac Naughton, chief merchandising officer, Walmart U.S. in a statement. "We'll have this season's hottest gifts at prices only Walmart can provide. And by sharing our Black Friday specials earlier than ever, we hope to make buying decisions easier for parents working hard to give their families the Christmas they deserve."
Walmart has announced that at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day it will open its stores with special offers on toys, home items and clothing. As Black Friday opens at midnight, the chain will then offer special promotions on consumer electronics.
Walmart is not the only retailer to open stores on Thanksgiving. The Gap, for example, plans to open about 1,000 of it stores that day.
Tom Julian, president of the retail consultancy Tom Julian Group, told CNNMoney that he expects others to do the same.
"I expect there will be more Thanksgiving openings from other groups as a result," he said. "It's a marketing maneuver for those that really want to own Thanksgiving to Black Friday."
- Walmart Kicks-off Three Black Friday Events Starting at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving - Walmart Stores
- Wal-Mart unveils Black Friday circular: See the deals - CNNMoney
- Walmart moves Black Friday to Thanksgiving night - Reuters
- Gap To Open About 1,000 Stores On Thanksgiving - Dow Jones Newswires/The Wall Street Journal