Though some shoppers have expressed concern over the continuing trend of stores opening for Black Friday sales earlier on earlier on Thanksgiving, retailers seem to find the trend working, as two department store chains have officially announced plans to open during the later afternoon hours Thanksgiving Day.

Find Out The Top Deals Prior To Black Friday

Both Sears/Kmart and JcPenney have announced their official sale start times for Black Friday 2014, and they indeed plan to continue the trend that has seen them begin their sales well before midnight, with Sears planning to begin sales at 6 p.m. and JcPenney kicking things off at 5 p.m. Kmart stores, which are also owned by Sears, will once again open their doors to shoppers at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving Morning.

In a press release, Sears announced that they would be starting their deals at the department store level at their earliest planned time yet, while Kmart would be continuing their long-standing 23-year tradition of being open on Thanksgiving Day, though this is only the second year in a row the company will not be shutting their doors at all.

Wal-Mart & Best Buy Offering Huge Discounts Prior To Black Friday

"With so many integrated retail options available - from Free Store Pickup to Pay In-Store to In-Vehicle Pickup - members will enjoy more convenient ways to shop Sears and Kmart Black Friday doorbuster deals how or when they choose," said Leena Munjal, senior vice president, Sears Holdings. "This holiday season is all about giving more to our members and because many like to start shopping well before Black Friday, we're excited to open our doors early on Thanksgiving and offer other early access opportunities for them to shop and save. I'd also like to especially thank our seasonal associates and those who have volunteered to share part of the day serving our members on Thanksgiving."

Sears will also be holding a pre-Black Friday sales event for Shop Your Way members at a Friends and Family event on Sunday Nov. 9 from 6-9 p.m., which will offer Black Friday pricing on select apparel, appliances, tools and footwear, plus an additional 5 to 15 percent discount. Kmart is also bringing back their no money down layaway until Nov. 15.

The decision to open Kmart stores beginning at 6 a.m. is likely to earn the company some backlash once again, as many shoppers were unhappy with the company's decision to do so last year, with a #SaveThanksgiving movement popping up on social media.

Neither Sears/Kmart nor JCPenney has released their Black Friday ads.

The list of Black Friday sale start times thus far is:

Opening Thursday, Nov. 27:

6 a.m. : Kmart

4 p.m.: Stage, Goody's, Peebles, Palais Royale, Bealls

5 p.m.: JCPenney

6 p.m.: Macy's, Sears, Kohl's, Wal-Mart (Rumored), Best Buy (Rumored), Bon Ton, Belk, Dell

Opening Fri, Nov. 28:

5 a.m.: Lowe's

7 a.m.: Harbor Freight Tools

Tags
Black Friday 2014