Black Friday slide: Macy’s to open 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving

Remember when, on Black Friday, stores would actually wait to open their doors on Friday? This year, Macy’s will continue the shift away from that tradition when most of its stores open their doors at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.

The department store chain was careful to say in a statement that its door-buster deals would become available “after families across the country have finished their holiday meals and celebrations.”

But if bargain hunters of past holiday seasons are any indication, lines of shoppers probably will form well before the turkey goes in the oven.

That is, if those shoppers aren’t queuing up in front of other stores likely to kick off their holiday sales Thursday instead of Friday. Two years ago, Toys R Us began inviting in guests on Thanksgiving; last year, Wal-Mart, Sears, Target and Kmart did the same.

Macy’s said the earlier opening comes “in response to interest from customers who prefer to start their shopping early.”

But the retailer also said it was trying “to minimize the impact on associates.” The company said it would give employees a head start on planning their shifts so they can volunteer for the time slots they want.

The Cincinnati-based chain said last month that it plans to hire 83,000 seasonal associates for the holiday season, including more than 9,300 temporary workers in Southern California. The total figure is up 3.8% from the 2012 holiday season.

Macy’s, which is posting certain Black Friday deals on its Pinterest page, also said it would offer bargains such as $9.99 kitchen appliances, $50 five-piece luggage sets and $50 cameras.

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