NEW YORK—As store sales fall and purchases shift online over the Thanksgiving weekend, most U.S. retailers have boosted their web offerings but many still overlook the sales impact from opening their doors on Thursday evening (Nov. 22) .
It is widely understood that heavy discounting early in the holiday season—both online and in stores—along with retailers opening on Thursday evening cuts into early morning Black Friday traffic and sales. For example, the snaking lines for “doorbuster” deals at 4 a.m. on Black Friday are a rare sight these days.
