Riverdale, N.J. – Best Buy and Walmart may be planning to start their Black Friday sales at midnight.
According to a report in NorthJersey.com cited by bargain site Black Friday by BradsDeals, both chains submitted applications to the Riverdale, N.J., town council to open their local stores at midnight the day after Thanksgiving. (The applications were approved.)
Last year Best Buy opened its stores at midnight for the first time on Black Friday, while Walmart opened even earlier, at 10 p.m. Thanksgiving evening, and kept its 24-hour locations open around the clock.
The early openings, which extended to other national chains including Target, Kohl’s and Macy’s, and such CE specialty retailers as h.h.gregg and BrandsMart USA, were widely criticized for forcing store workers from their holiday gatherings and encouraging consumers to do likewise.
