Stores may be opening earlier than ever, but you still can find the die hard Black Friday shoppers already in line. Even so, they're not being forced to wait as long because stores are opening earlier than ever.
Black Friday shoppers have been camping out in front of Houston-area Best Buy stores since Monday.
"You can't beat a 40-inch TV for $200," shopper Mike Borrego said.
Best Buy is making its shoppers wait until 12:01am Friday to get the best deals. But that's not the case with other retailers. Many stores are staggering deals throughout Thursday evening.
Walmart, Target, Sears and Old Navy will all be open on Thanksgiving Day.
"Thanksgiving is buy one, get one 50 (percent off). Everything is buy one, get on 50. But starting tomorrow they can come in a play on the Wii," Old Navy manager Susan Alcorn said.
Even Gander Mountain is opening on Thanksgiving Day, with store hours from 9am to midnight.
Some Black Friday shoppers we spoke with say they sympathize with those having to work on what was once a day off for nearly everyone.
"I don't think it is fair to the employees. You know they have families and I think as a consumer we can understand, you have a family, Thursday just stay at home, open the stores later that night because people are still going to shop," shopper Ella Curl said.
Walmart employees in some states plan a Black Friday walk out, but some retail employees say they don't mind working the Thanksgiving Day hours.
"I have to work 'cause I work at Old Navy and I work on Thanksgiving too and we are making money so there should not be any complaints about that," retail employee Henry Vu said.
Most grocery stores are open at least until the middle of the afternoon. As to why stores are opening earlier and earlier, it's simple -- consumers keep showing up and spending money.
