Get ready to finish your turkey and stuffing a few hours earlier this year. Macy's on Tuesday said it will open the doors to its full-line department stores at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, two hours earlier than last year. Although Macy's is the first to announce its Thanksgiving plans, it certainly won't be the last. In 2013, J.C. Penney, Wal-Mart, Target and others also opened their doors on the holiday.
Macy's spokeswoman Holly Thomas said that last year, its flagship Herald Square store broke its record for a Thanksgiving weekend opening, with 15,000 people waiting at the doors. It was the first time the department store opened on Thanksgiving Day; in 2012, it opened at midnight on Black Friday. By opening early, companies can not only grab an early share of customers' wallets, but they can also build loyalty for the season—and perhaps get them to increase their budgets as the calendar gets closer to Christmas. Thomas said the majority of the Thanksgiving Day shifts have already been filled voluntarily.
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-- Krystina Gustafson, CNBC