This year, Black Friday is shaping up to be an even bigger shopping extravaganza than ever before. Macy’s, Target, Best Buy and Kohl’s will be opening at midnight instead of the crack of dawn. Toys “R” Us and Wal-Mart are ignoring the whole “Friday” part altogether and opening their doors at 9pm and 10pm (respectively) on Thanksgiving Day. According to a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation, stores and malls can expect up to 10% more shoppers than last year–that’s up to 152 million shoppers over the course of the weekend. But while retailers and shoppers are upping the ante this year, some people are beginning to wonder whether, in these tough economic times, shopping on Black Friday is such a smart idea in the first place.

Read more →