Black Friday 2013 Store Hours: Old Navy Opens Thanksgiving Thursday Following Kmart, Best Buy & More [VIDEO]
Old Navy is the latest retailer to announce Thanksgiving hours for its special Black Friday deals.
The clothing retailer is the latest to jump on the bandwagon that has seen stores opening earlier and earlier each year and has now spilled onto Thanksgiving Thursday. They announced that they will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day for special Thursday only deals, and will re-open at 7 p.m. Thanksgiving Night and remain open through Black Friday.
The company has yet to release any specifics on what deals they will be offering.
While stores like Wal-Mart, Target and Toys 'R Us did open last Thanksgiving, several other retailers had kept their hours strictly on Black Friday itself, choosing 12:01 a.m. openings. This year, several are now joining in as the biggest shopping day of the year slowly creeps further and further into Thanksgiving Day.
The move by several retailers this year has sparked an outrage online as more traditional Black Friday Shoppers call retailers "despicable" for placing business needs over their employees spending time with their families. Social Media websites like Facebook and Twitter have had new pages and trends start up in recent weeks known as "#savethanksgiving" where several have weighed in and commented on the increasingly disappearing holiday in favor of getting a jump on the Christmas shopping season.
Twitter users have specifically backlashed against Kmart, which announced it would open at 6 a.m. Thanksgiving morning and remain open through Black Friday, and Best Buy, which announced on Friday that all of its stores in 47 states would open at 6 p.m.
Twitter User Michelle wrote "Hearing the news that best Buy is beginning their Black Friday ON Thanksgiving at SIX PM is just unbelievably upsetting. #savethanksgiving."
DS wrote "Nobody at my house will be leaving early to go shop at Best Buy, Kohls, Macys, or anywhere else. #savethanksgiving."
Mackenzie Coan wrote "Bestbuy nice job! Opening at 6. Thanks for helping in retailers plot to forget thanksgiving! #savethanksgiving." Coan also posted a photo of the pledge button for those who are appalled by the hours stores are choosing to open.
Celebrities have also spoken out against the continuing parade of early store hours on Thanksgiving. Ryan Seacrest publicly denounced the movement on his Twitter account as well, saying "I feel like thanksgiving dinner is getting the shaft with how early stores are opening this year. #savethanksgiving."
Stores that have officially announced Thanksgiving hours on Thursday Nov. 28, are listed below:
6:00 a.m.: Bealls, Kmart
8:00 a.m.: Walgreens
5:00 p.m.: Toys 'R Us
6:00 p.m.: Best Buy, Sports Authority
7:00 p.m.: Old Navy
8:00 p.m.: Belk, Bon Ton, J.C. Penney, Kohl's, Macy's, Office Max, Sears
