With later Thanksgiving, Target holds pre-Black Friday sale a week later than last year

Target is holding its Black Friday preview sale this Friday and Saturday, a week later than last year with Thanksgiving also falling later on the calendar this year.

The sale, which has expanded to two days, will have four times the number of deals as last year on items including TVs, hoverboards and Instant Pots, the Minneapolis-based retailer said.

While it had seemed that retailers were pushing holiday sales earlier and earlier every year, retailers are adopting different strategies in a year with six fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanksgiving also falls on the latest possible date it can this year, nearly a week later than last year.

With less of an expected shopping lull between the two holidays, some retailers have started holiday sales earlier. But others are waiting a bit later to start rolling out deals closer to Thanksgiving.

Walmart decided to hold its early holiday sale nearly two weeks ago, the earliest it has ever conducted that sale. Kohl's offered more than 100 pre-Black Friday deals starting Nov. 1, when retailers typically begin to roll out their holiday ads and in-store decorations.

For many years, retailers have pushed Black Friday sales to earlier in November and even October. The phenomenon, known as Black Friday creep, also refers to how many retailers now launch their actual Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving Day.

But as for Thanksgiving Day creep, not much appears to have changed yet for this year. Target said it will once again open stores at 5 p.m. on the holiday, the same time it did last year. Kohl's will open at the same time.

J.C. Penney will also again open at 2 p.m. on the holiday. And for the first time, Bed Bath & Beyond, which has been struggling with sales, will open on Thanksgiving, starting at 5 p.m.

Target, which also released its Black Friday ad Wednesday, said it will also make some of the deals available earlier online the night before Thanksgiving to members of its new loyalty program, Target Circle. It also often provides early access to holders of its RedCard, who will continue to receive that perk this year.

Kavita Kumar • 612-673-4113