Target is joining the chorus of retailers who want you to shop on Thanksgiving, announcing that it will open its doors at 9pm, up from last year's midnight opening. Tasteless? Not according to a Target VP, who describes the 9pm opening as "a perfect balance." And it will come a full hour after Walmart starts wooing shoppers with its $9.44 crock pots. The AP and Wall Street Journal report that the wave of early shopping options will also include Sears (8pm) and Kohl's, Gap, Macy's, and Best Buy (midnight).
Will dragging employees away from the dinner table pay off for these companies? According to one survey, the average shopper is expected to spend $749 this holiday season—up from $740 last year, reports the Washington Post. (More Black Friday stories.)