Wal-Mart, Target And Macy's All Don Black This Thanksgiving

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the biggest shopping day of the year. Within the last few years, several major stores have opened their doors earlier and earlier; now, the pattern has continued pushing and several stores are set to open on Thanksgiving Day.

This phenomenon, Black Thursday, has been met with resistance, strengthened by a few major retailers taking a stand against it. Yet, the biggest players in retail are embracing the trend.

Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. WMT, the world’s largest retailer and private employer, will be opening at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. However, the company is taking its lead-up to Black Friday more seriously than ever, with 20,000 discounted "Roll Back" prices having already been in effect as of November 1. Those sales will continue throughout the holiday season.

Target

Target Corporation TGT will be opening at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving, an hour earlier than its 2013 Black Thursday open time. According to USA Today, the location analytic firm Placed found that Target came up short in 2013 against its major competitors in the Black Thursday/Friday rush. As such, the company will also be offering early November deals to entice shoppers, including 15 daily discounts online every day leading up to Black Thursday.

Macy’s

Last year, the department store chain Macy’s, Inc. M opened at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving, marking its first foray into Black Thursday. This year, it will emulate Wal-Mart and open at 6 p.m.

As the company said in a statement, "We work diligently to staff Thanksgiving with associates who volunteer to work and doing so means that our people are able to make their own decisions about how they contribute to our most important and busiest weekend of the year. We also heard last year from many associates who appreciated the opportunity to work on Thanksgiving so they could have time off on Black Friday."

Best Buy

The electronics retailer will also open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Though it is not extending as deeply into November as Wal-Mart, Best Buy Co Inc BBY will be holding special sale events in select stores on November 8 to preview its holiday sales, as well as to give consumers coupons to be used that day only.

Many of the savings will be in the form of Best Buy gift cards, such as $50 when you buy an Apple Inc. iPad Air and $100 when you buy a MacBook Air, that can be used later, perhaps on Black Thursday or Friday.

Toys "R" Us

Many of the toy stores will open at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving, though some will be waiting patiently until 5 a.m. on Black Friday. Moreover, in an attempt to keep up with competitors Wal-Mart and Target, Toys "R" Us is also offering earlier November deals in the lead-up to retail's shining day.

Kmart

Kmart, which has been a subsidiary of Sears Holding Corp SHLD since 2005, is taking the Black Thursday proverbial cake by opening at least some of its stores at 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving. Sears will also be opening on Black Thursday as well, but at a more modest 8 p.m. time.

Also opening their doors on Thanksgiving this year: