Holiday Shoppers Get Early Start On 'Gray Thursday' Night
NEW YORK (CBS 2) -- Big name stores were opening hours before Black Friday to get a jump on the competition for the much-anticipated day of deals, CBS 2HD's Dave Carlin reports.
A frenzy of late-night toy shopping was underway in the heart of Times Square. Toys R Us welcomed a rather sizable crowd inside at 10 p.m. sharp.
"I love it, I love it. I was here at midnight last year. I'm here at 10 this year, I'm excited," said Maria Guimaraes of Union.
More stores than ever before are open for business and offering deep discounts ahead of Black Friday. "It's grey Thursday," said Shawn Hollenbach of the Upper West Side. "I'm shopping, I'm taking advantage of the 59 cent washclothes I got at KMart."
Walmart never closed this holiday, with Zhu Zhu pets flying off these shelves at the Long Island store. For the first time in its 124-year history, Sears stores were open for business on Thanksgiving Day.
As for Valley Stream sisters Judy and Amy Zuckerman, they said it is wrong. "I think it's bad because I think people should have time off to spend with their family and it's just getting a little crazy," Judy said.
"I agree that stores should be closed on Thanksgiving," said Amy.
Many toy shoppers disagree, as do many customers waiting in a line outside Best Buy where the doors will open at 5 a.m. Mexican tourist Erika Zuniga knows what she wants, and doesn't mind waiting nine hours in the cold because she says the prices are right. "A laptop, a camera, another laptop," she said. "It's crazy but I think it's worth it."
