Black Friday is going to be crazier than usual this year.
According to the National Retail Federation website, an estimated 138 million shoppers will take advantage of discounted items and early sales the day after Thanksgiving.
“The rules for Black Friday have changed significantly,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a Nov. 18 press release. “Instead of waiting until Thanksgiving Day to announce their promotions, many retailers are getting shoppers excited about Black Friday by offering sneak peeks of deals in advance, using social media to create buzz, or teasing upcoming deals on their websites.”
Thanks to the new marketing techniques, retailers are expecting an increase of 4 million shoppers this holiday shopping season. Last year, 134 million shoppers took advantage of early shopping incentives, according to the web-
site.
Walmart assistant manager Darrell West said the supercenter in Hinesville is preparing to open its doors as early as midnight on Thursday for select items in roped-off sections of
the store and then again
at 4 a.m. for the official opening that will allow customers access to electronics.
On an average day, Walmart has between 75 to 80 employees working, but on Black Friday, 180 employees work to ensure safety and theft are not issues, West said.
Although he has heard of people getting injured or killed during sales, he said the store has been diligent about following safety measures and preparing the