Target stores are opening earlier than ever this Thanksgiving in a clear signal it's not giving up on Black Friday
- Target will be open from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day and reopen on Black Friday at 7 a.m.
- This is the longest amount of time that the store has been open during Thanksgiving since it first opened its doors on the holiday in 2011.
- Target also announced that shoppers could get early access to Black Friday deals in stores and online for one day: Thursday, November 1.
Target's Thanksgiving opening hours are creeping further forward.
This year, its stores will be open on Thanksgiving from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Stores will then reopen at 7 a.m. on Friday, according to an ad first spotted by BestBlackFriday.com.
This is the first time that the store has had these extended hours. Last year, Target was open from 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day to midnight on Black Friday. The previous year, it opened at 6 p.m. and was closed by 11 p.m.
A spokesperson for Target did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
Target also announced that shoppers could get early access to Black Friday deals in stores and online for one day: Thursday, November 1.
Read more: The clever tricks Target uses to get you to keep spending money
Retailers have come under fire in recent years for kicking off their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving. As a result, several have started to buck the trend and stay closed.
Earlier this month, Business Insider reported that at least 60 retailers including Costco, Home Depot, and TJ Maxx had confirmed they would remain closed on Thanksgiving. Phillip Dengler, head of editorial and content marketing for BestBlackFriday.com, told USA Today that this was the most confirmed closures it has had at this point in the year compared to previous years.
While some retailers are still hoping to capitalize on Black Friday sales early by opening during Thanksgiving, some have likely pulled back because the famous shopping day doesn't carry the same weight it once did. This is partly because consumers are increasingly shopping for deals online, which means they don't need to waste time lining up in stores for one big day of shopping. They are also used to having deals year-round, which takes pressure off of the day.