More people expected to shop this Thanksgiving weekend
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Experts expect even more people to shop over Thanksgiving weekend this year than last year.
It’s been an evolving tradition in recent years, with more stores opening on Thanksgiving instead of Black Friday. The National Retail Federation estimates about 135.8 million shoppers will shop in stores and online starting Thursday.
The deals started early at Meijer in Whitestown, people lined up for deals starting at 6:00 a.m. Thursday. Tickets for one type of TV were already gone just before 6:00.
Shaun Kriskovich, the store director at Meijer, said they have other deals starting Friday morning and Saturday as well.
At Best Buy on Lafayette Road, people lined up outside as early as Wednesday morning.
The deals online for some stores are also starting earlier than ever. Earlier this week, experts said they were already up from last year. Many stores have started to roll them out all week.
At Wal-Mart this year, Black Friday deals online are already happening. They started at 3 p.m. eastern time Thursday morning.
Cyber Monday for many stores now starts on Sunday or earlier.
Of course, some stores choose not to open on Thanksgiving this year, including REI, TJ Maxx, and Nordstrom among others.
If you are planning to head out Thursday, here are several times that places open around Indianapolis Thursday.
- Best Buy – 5 p.m.
- Target – 6 p.m.
- Kohls – 6 p.m.
- JC Penney – 3 p.m.
- Toys R Us – 5 p.m.
- Walmart – deals start at 6 p.m., open all day
- Meijer – deals start at 6 a.m., open all day
- Macy’s – 6 p.m.
- Dicks Sporting Goods – 6 p.m.
- Castleton Square Mall, Greenwood Park Mall, Hamilton Town Center – 6 p.m. Thursday – 1 p.m. Reopen at 6 a.m. on Black Friday.
- Cabela’s – closed Thursday, opening Friday at 5 a.m.
- Costco – closed Thursday, opening Friday morning 9 a.m.