New York – A traditional day of feasting with family turned into a day of early holiday shopping for some, as retailers offered more options – both online and in stores – than ever this Thanksgiving.
For the first time, BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc. and CompUSA Inc. opened their doors on Thanksgiving, while online retailer Amazon.com offered special holiday discounts.
In the past, grocery retailers and 24-hour convenience stores such as 7-Eleven Inc. were the only shopping options on Thanksgiving.
Holiday gift shoppers turned to the Web or saved their efforts for today, “Black Friday,” considered the official kickoff to the shopping season.
“Some retailers are trying to find a way to take advantage of the fact that once dinner is over, many families are looking for some kind of entertainment,” said Ellen Davis, spokeswoman at National Retail Federation, a trade group.
Almost 1,400 Kmart stores, owned by Sears Holdings Corp., were open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., offering buy-one-get-one-free deals on board games and a Polaroid digital camera for less than $100, among other deals, said spokeswoman Gail Lavielle.
Nichelle Thompson, 36, of Los Angeles and her 14-year old son Justin arrived just before the opening of a Los Angeles Kmart to take advantage of a one-day sale and pick up a $54 combination DVD player and VCR.
Thompson said she decided to start her Thanksgiving with a trip to the store after seeing the player advertised in a newspaper.
More than 2,000 24-hour Wal-Mart Supercenters were open on the holiday.
“I don’t have to do all the cooking, or I would not be here,” Ruth Redman, 42, said as she browsed for bargain clothing at a Supercenter near Rochester, N.Y. She said she’ll probably stay home today, especially during the early-morning onslaught.
