You Might As Well Have Thanksgiving Dinner At Target This Year

Black Friday used to be the undisputed start to the holiday shopping season. But with more and more retailers opening on Thanksgiving and enticing shoppers with huge deals, it might as well be changed to Black Thursday. If you're a denizen of the Dollar Spot, you might be wondering if Target is open on Thanksgiving this year, because you're prepared to plan your day around their hours.

Not only will Target be open on Thanksgiving, they'll actually open their doors an hour earlier than they did last year according to CNBC: at 5 p.m. They may be matching the move of competitors like Macy's and Kohl's, which also open at 5. Doors will stay open until 1 a.m. that night and re-open at 7 a.m. on Friday morning.

If you're interested in scoring some of Target's big deals this year, you can check out a preview in their Black Friday ad. The store is offering major sales on everything from toys and TVs to clothes and Christmas trees. Some of the best deals are limited in quantity and there are no rain checks, which means it's first come, first served. No wonder people end up camping outside their favorite stores every year.

Shopping on Thanksgiving has been the subject of some pretty fierce debate in recent years. Some people think it's a huge distraction from the family spirit of Thanksgiving, as Business Insider touched on, and that it's a raw deal for the retail workers who have to give up the holiday with their families. Other people think it's a fun way to work off that massive meal, and note that workers might welcome the holiday overtime pay.

As controversial as it is though, it doesn't seem to be stopping some stores from doing everything they can to lure people in. Target's 5 p.m. opening isn't the earliest, not by a long shot. JCPenney will open its door at 2 p.m. according to WABC. If you need a blast of caffeine to fuel your holiday shopping, Delish noted that most Starbucks locations will be open on Thanksgiving, but you'll have to call yours for specific hours.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of stores that will be shuttered on Turkey Day. BestBlackFriday.com is keeping a list of the stores that won't be open on Thanksgiving, and there are more than 70 to note. They include Barnes & Noble, Costco, Ikea, Nordstrom, and T.J. Maxx. Trader Joe's is also on the list, so you won't be able to head there for any last minute dinner ingredients.

As much as I love Target, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be sitting out Thanksgiving shopping (seeing as I probably won't be able to move after that massive meal, anyway). I already spend way too much money there on an average day — I'm routinely hypnotized by the bullseye into buying my kids' new wardrobes or redecorating my living room when I'm supposed to just be picking up a few groceries — so I don't want to imagine the bill I'd probably run up if I were surrounded by deals that were just too good to pass up. Now if I can just manage to stay off of their website...