Krystina Gustafson | @KrystinaGustafs

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People enter Macy's Herald Square as the store opens its doors at 8 pm Thanksgiving day on November 28, 2013 in New York City.

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.

Experts have stressed the importance of retailers catering to shoppers' desire to head to the mall when they finish Thanksgiving dinner. 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.

The Thanksgiving shopping trend is only exacerbated by online. According to PwC's Holiday Outlook study, 49 percent of shoppers plan to browse online to research products and make purchases on Thanksgiving morning.

Thomas said the majority of the Thanksgiving Day shifts have already been filled voluntarily. She said the company received feedback last year that many of its employees "appreciated the opportunity to work on Thanksgiving so they could have time off on Black Friday," as well as the additional pay they receive for working a holiday. For any shift that begins on Thursday, employees will be paid time-and-a-half.

Macy's announced last month that it will hire 86,000 seasonal workers this holiday, an increase of about 3.6 percent compared to 2013.

Shopping the day after Thanksgiving used to be fun when I was younger but now, I just avoid shopping that whole weekend, period. Besides, the sales that particular weekend aren't even the BEST sales of the season. Sooner or later, all stores will be open for shopping on Thanksgiving day.

[Edited 10/15/14 5:03am]

I'm sure my niece will be working a lot that weekend (she's at Macy's). Knowing her, she will love every minute of it.

I know there will be a lot bitching about this on the Black Friday ads sites. As a shopper, I don't go out on Black Friday much any more. Nearly every deal I wanted has been available online anyway. Why bother with all that mess?

It does suck for the workers though. My son just had an interview at Target. They asked him if he could work overnight Thanksgiving/Black Friday. He said no. They wanted to hire him anyway. He declined. He's sticking at Wendy's for now. Really not worth the headache. Working retail during the holidays must be awful!

As long as it's profitable the stores will be open. If people stopped shopping it wouldn't.

It's been creeping up for years and I just can't be bothered to care about it. I don't shop, I don't have to work, I really don't care.

When I worked in positions that required holiday coverage there was never much issue getting people to work, some love the overtime and holiday pay and some like the excuse to get out of family events. Or both.

Oh well. It is what it is.

CarrieMpls said:

As long as it's profitable the stores will be open. If people stopped shopping it wouldn't.

It's been creeping up for years and I just can't be bothered to care about it. I don't shop, I don't have to work, I really don't care.

When I worked in positions that required holiday coverage there was never much issue getting people to work, some love the overtime and holiday pay and some like the excuse to get out of family events. Or both.

The only part that stinks where I work is that the Friday after Thanksgiving isn't considered a holiday (because we're a retail business and they don't want to have to pay time-and-a-half that day). So everyone who's salaried (and not employed in the stores, warehouse or phone center) has to take a day of vacation if they don't want to work that day.

It's a small price to pay, though.

Shopping has replaced football as the Thanksgiving Sport.

I wont shop on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years Day. I don't want the employees working on those days. If I forgot something-too bad-it can wait.

kewlschool said:

I wont shop on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years Day. I don't want the employees working on those days. If I forgot something-too bad-it can wait.

That's kewl, school, I try to do the same. Besides . . . people who shop at the end of the spring and fall seasons can have their run of the same places that are packed on the last weekend of November, and often, with better deals.

[Edited 10/20/14 12:56pm]

Stymie said:

I already hate people so getting half trampled for worthless stuff does not appeal to me.

I hate you more sweetie!

kewlschool said:

Stymie said:

I already hate people so getting half trampled for worthless stuff does not appeal to me.

I hate you more sweetie!

Stymie said:

I already hate people so getting half trampled for worthless stuff does not appeal to me.