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Shoppers React to Early Start on Black Friday

SELINSGROVE — The biggest shopping day of the year is just over one week away, but this year, it seems “Black Friday” has turned into “B...

SELINSGROVE -- The biggest shopping day of the year is just over one week away, but this year, it seems "Black Friday" has turned into "Black Thursday", too.

In a little more than a week, shoppers will flock to stores like ones here at the Susquehanna Valley Mall near Selinsgrove for Black Friday bargains.  It is a tradition for many to wake up early and hit the stores.

"We're usually up by 3-4 in the morning. We like to be in line for stores that open at 6," Cindy Scholl said.

"We go to Target, Walmart and the mall. We go out at probably 4 or 5 in the morning," Noel Olivieri said.

This year people will be able to shop even earlier. Target will open at 9:00 Thanksgiving evening. Walmart opens even earlier. Some shoppers near Selinsgrove are not happy about that, and say it's not fair to make retail employees miss Thanksgiving dinner to go to work.

"No it's not supposed to be like that. You're supposed to get up bright and early on Friday and go shopping.  That's the tradition," Olivieri said.

Many employees agree.  A woman who works for Target started an online petition to protest the early opening, asking Target to give Thanksgiving back to its employees.

A spokesperson for Target says opening at 9:00pm on Thanksgiving is more convenient for people because it will allow them to get their shopping done as soon as they finish dinner.

"I would rather just get it over with and go to bed late rather than have to get up early and spend a big day the next day as well," Becky Deitrick said.

Some stores, like Sears, are having black Friday specials the week before Thanksgiving. Kohl's will have black Friday deals on its website the day before Thanksgiving.

"It's not bad but it's still not a black Friday special.  I do like that they're giving options before Friday, but i still like to get up and go Friday morning," Scholl said.

And some stores, like J.C. Penney are going against the trend of starting early on Black Friday, by opening at 6:00am. Most of the stores at the Lycoming and Susquehanna Valley Malls open at midnight.

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