Macy's Will Open On Thanksgiving For The First Time Ever

Macy's says it will open most of its stores for the first time on Thanksgiving, giving bargain-hungry shoppers an extra couple hours to cash in on Black Friday sales.

The Cincinnati-based department store said Monday that its doors will open at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving and remain open for at least the next 24 hours straight.

The retailer said that the earlier hours are "in response to interest from customers who prefer to start their shopping early."

Another factor was rival department store Lord & Taylor, which opened its flagship Manhattan store at 10 a.m. last Thanksgiving to take advantage of crowds gathered for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, The New York Post reported.

With the announcement, Macy's joins a growing group of retailers - including Gap, Walmart, Sears and Target - who are kicking off Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving Day. Toys 'R' Us was one of the first major retailers to open on the holiday in 2011.

Macy's operates about 800 stores, 750 of which will be opening on the holiday.