US retailers look to Black Friday for bigger slice of holiday sales

Macy's Inc and several other US retailers plan to remain open on Thanksgiving for the first time ever in a bid to garner a bigger slice of overall holiday sales.

But commentators say it would not be that easy to lure most Americans from their turkey and football if the weather were to play spoilsport.

Department store rivals Kohl's Corp and JC Penney Co Inc were ahead of the rest in making Thanksgiving opening announcements after Macy's said it would be open for business on the popular holiday, ending a 155-year tradition.

However, there are indications from sales surveys, survey results and online "Save Thanksgiving" backlash shoppers might just opt to give the retailers a miss.

However, with six fewer shopping days this year than in 2012, retailers who look to make around half of annual profits during winter holiday season are keen to cash in on Thanksgiving.

Target Corp, Best Buy Co Inc and several others would be opening earlier on today than they did last year.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, hundreds of thousands of Christmas gifts would be on offer at cut prices tomorrow to the extent of 70 per cent as the biggest day in America's festive shopping calender hits the UK.

Shoppers have been promised Kindles, coffee machines, video games, steam mops and tablet computers at as little as £49 in the biggest 24 hours of the Christmas shopping season so far.

Retail experts expect "Black Friday" associated mostly with US take root in the UK this year as retailers from Asda to John Lewis and Amazon launch their biggest ever promotional offers.

Walmart owned Asda has on offer "earth shattering deals" at its 350 across the nation with the Cyclone Explorer 7 inch tablet computer priced extra low at £49 in a first-come-first-served offer.

Each of the retailer's superstores are being decked out with Wal-Mart logos and shoppers would have some 500,000 products to take home at "unbeatable" prices according to the company.

The company expects shoppers to run through its stock of the Cyclone Explorer and an LG 42 inch plasma TV within two hours of stores opening at 8 am.