This year holiday deal shopping can begin before the first slice of pumpkin pie has been served with Sears and Kmart becoming the latest stores to announce Thanksgiving opening hours.
Sears said it will let shoppers in at 6 p.m., the earliest opening time ever for the beleaguered department chain. Kmart said it will open at 6 a.m. and stay open for 42 hours straight, an hour longer than last year. Both stores will offer seasonal deals to entice shoppers. The magic number for opening hours this year appears to be 6. Last week Macy's became the first retailer to announce its 2014 Thanksgiving shopping hours. The venerable retailer is opening at 6 p.m., two hours earlier than last year. Stores are eager to make up for a season weighed under by heavy weather last year and capitalize on predictions that consumer holiday spending will rise about 4 percent. Some have chosen to open earlier. Others, like Costco, Barnes & Noble, TJ Maxx and Sams' Club, have chosen to keep their doors completely shut on Thanksgiving.
-- Ben Popken
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