US retailers looking for an edge on Black Friday sales
An annual parade and free dinners are welcome respite for thousands coping with the loss of homes and loved ones after superstorm Sandy
US shoppers took advantage of retailers offering a Thursday night start to the traditional post-Thanksgiving holiday shopping season, lining up at stores to get deals on electronics and other items or to just see what the fuss was about.
This year, Target joined Wal-Mart Stores and Gap in being open at least part of the day on Thursday and some retailers planned to be open throughout the day, a trend that began to take hold last year.
Wal-Mart's US discount stores, which have been open on Thanksgiving Day since 1988, offered some "Black Friday" deals at 8pm local time and special deals on some electronics at 10pm. Target moved its opening from midnight to 9pm on Thursday and Toys 'R' Us opened from 8pm.
"It's a recognition that retailers need to be more aggressive and want to show their physical stores are important," Moody's senior analyst Charles O'Shea said.
While he didn't see enormous crowds out in Vauxhall, New Jersey, he did see about 15 people lined up already at a Best Buy, which opened at midnight. At another Target, only two shoppers were in line for a 9pm opening. Still, for retailers, any crowd could make the effort worth it.
"It's a finite pie; if you can get a bit more by being open, then do it," O'Shea said.