Forget the Day After Thanksgiving, Black Friday Starts Now

While Most People Haven't Finished Shopping for Halloween, Some Stores are Starting their Holiday Sales This Weekend

For decades the traditional day to start shopping for Christmas gifts has been the day after Thanksgiving, dubbed "Black Friday" in recent years, because that's the day a retailer's budget will go from red to black.

But not this year.

Several stores are starting their holiday sales even before Halloween trick or treating has begun.

"I just walked by a store and there was Christmas music playing already and I’m like, I’m just getting ready for Halloween right now," says Kelly Joyce, shopper

"Black friday used to a day on Thanksgiving weekend when people went shopping, but now it's a five or six week long ordeal," according to Brad Wilson of BlackFriday2010.com

Sears is kicking off the trend this weekend with what they call “Black Friday Now” deals.

In addition to savings of 20% in some departments, Sears is offering extended layaway options on in-store and online purchases during the sale.

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The store’s extended layaway program allows shoppers 12 weeks to pay for purchases, according to the L.A. Times.

Other retailers offering discounts before Halloween are Amazon, who’s electronics department will offer sales on items like Blu-ray players and high-definition TVs on Friday, and Toys “R” Us who will put all the items in its 80-page Christmas toy book on sale on Sunday, the L.A. Times reports.

For the first time, Target will run a four-day sale starting the Sunday before Thanksgiving. More than 170 gift items will be discounted up to 50 percent during the sale, according to the New York Times.

Even with the effort to capture more sales through early promotions, there is no guarantee that retailers will see a bounce in their bottom lines, the New York Times reports.

Retail experts say in the last two years shopping started off strong in November, then trailed off as the weeks, and the impact of a poor economy, went by.

"I’m traditional. I like it after Thanksgiving, we’re all good," says Michelle Williams, shopper.

Regardless of how much you are planning to spend, or when you plan to spend it, remember, there are only 57 shopping days left until Christmas.

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