Kmart president says his workers look forward to working at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving

Kmart's president says that waking up for a 6 a.m. shift on Thanksgiving is "great fun" for his workers.

"So many of my associates that I talk to actually thoroughly enjoy today because it's a great experience for us to have fun with our customers on one of the busiest days of the year," Alasdair James told Sapna Maheshwari at Buzzfeed.

He also said that the "majority" of workers "look forward" to the experience.

Kmart opened early Thanksgiving morning to gain an edge of competitors like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. Those retailers typically open later in the day.

The discount retailer, which is owned by Sears, has lost market share in recent years. James joined the brand in 2014 after working for British retailer Tesco.

Sales at Kmart stores open at least a year declined 7.3% in the most recent quarter.

The company's deals included $3 toasters and $6 jeans.

While Thanksgiving has largely replaced Black Friday as a shopping day, some retailers are bucking the trend.

Outdoor brand REI offered its workers a paid day off on Thanksgiving so they could spend time with their families. Staples and H&M are also closed on Thanksgiving.