Black Friday Ads 2011: Macy's Joins Target, Toys R' Us in Midnight Openings
Macy’s has just joined the ranks of retailers, such as Target and Toys R’Us, that will open their doors at midnight following Thanksgiving Day to accommodate the slew of Black Friday shoppers expected to flood stores this year.
This is the first year the retailer is opening all of its stores at midnight. Last year, Macy’s opened eight of its stores at midnight while remaining locations opened at 4 a.m. Martine Reardon, Macy's executive vice president of marketing, told The Associated Press that the midnight openings were successful.
In addition, she told the publication that some of the discounts shoppers can expect from the retailer this year include "40 percent off select coffee makers, tea kettles and espresso makers, and a $65 Justin Bieber limited-edition fragrance gift set, which includes a 3.4 ounce eau de parfum spray and the singer's new holiday CD. Macy’s is also discounting Rampage boots to $19.99, down from $49 to $59."
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The day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, is perhaps the busiest and most chaotic day of the year for stores as it marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season, with many retailers offering markedly discounted prices. Shoppers have been known to camp outside stores and wait in lines for hours prior to opening, eager to take advantage of some of the best sales of the year.
Already, the online world is buzzing with excitement as some sales and discounted prices have already been leaked.
In 2008, the chaotic nature of the day made headlines after a Walmart employee in Long Island, N.Y., was trampled to death by a stampede of thousands of people as they rushed through the retailer’s front doors at the store's opening.
Kohl's and Walmart stores are also expected to open their doors at midnight, but these reports have not been confirmed.
