Here are the major stores open on Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday in Bradenton area

Even though Black Friday has been losing ground to online sales in recent years, bargain hunters continue to revere the day after Thanksgiving as the best shopping day of the year.

Throw in Thanksgiving Day, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, and you’ve got a five-day stretch of businesses trying to drive sales with special offers and discounts to open the holiday shopping season.

Several retailers – Amazon, Best Buy, JCPenney, Target, Toys R Us and Walmart among them – already have launched their Black Friday sales campaigns online, eager to get an early start on the part of year that will make or break their bottom line for the year.

“Black Friday is no longer just a day,” Business Inside’s Your Money Editor Lauren Lyons Cole said. “It represents a store’s entire holiday marketing strategy.”

Black Friday started as a one-day event, but many retailers – some as early as 7 a.m. – once again are starting their sales on Thanksgiving Day. Some, including JCPenney, Kohl’s and Toys R Us, will continue their all-night hours as they have done the past several years.

Amid a difficult retail environment, pulling those all-nighters is an attempt to secure every sale possible, according to Neil Saunders, the managing director of GlobalData Retail.

But is it worth the effort?

“Staying open all night is not very economical,” Saunders said. “If you’re not getting the sales, it’s not worth it. It also shows that Black Friday is not as important as it once was.”

For those who are serious about securing savings and don’t mind waiting in line, here’s a rundown of hours for the major stores in the Bradenton area for Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

Of course, hours are subject to change, so confirm with the retailer before heading out.

Bealls

Thanksgiving: 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Black Friday: Opens at 6 a.m.

Best Buy

Thanksgiving: 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Black Friday: Opens at 8 a.m.

Big Lots

Thanksgiving: 7 a.m. to midnight

Black Friday: Opens at 6 a.m.

DeSoto Square mall

Thanksgiving: Closed

Black Friday: Opens at 9 a.m.

Dick’s Sporting Goods

Thanksgiving: 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Black Friday: Opens at 5 a.m.

Dillard’s

Thanksgiving: Closed

Black Friday: Opens at 8 a.m.

Dollar General

Thanksgiving: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Black Friday: Opens at 8 a.m.

Dollar Tree

Thanksgiving: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Black Friday: Opens at 8 a.m.

Ellenton Premium Outlets

Thanksgiving: 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Black Friday: Opens at 6 a.m.

Home Depot

Thanksgiving: Closed

Black Friday: Opens at 6 a.m.

JCPenney

Thanksgiving: 2 p.m. to midnight

Black Friday: Midnight to 10 p.m.

Kmart

Thanksgiving: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Black Friday: Opens at 6 a.m.

Kohl’s

Thanksgiving: 5 p.m. to midnight

Black Friday: Midnight to 11 p.m.

Lowe’s

Thanksgiving: Closed

Black Friday: Opens at 6 a.m.

Macy’s

Thanksgiving: 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Black Friday: Opens at 6 a.m.

Mall at University Town Center

Thanksgiving: 6 p.m. to midnight

Black Friday: Opens at 8 a.m.

Marshalls

Thanksgiving: Closed

Black Friday: Opens at 7 a.m.

Michaels

Thanksgiving: 6 p.m. to midnight

Black Friday: Opens at 7 a.m.

Office Depot

Thanksgiving: Closed

Black Friday: Opens at 7:45 a.m.

Pier 1 Imports

Thanksgiving: Closed

Black Friday: Opens at 8 a.m.

Sears

Thanksgiving: 6 p.m. to midnight

Black Friday: Opens at 5 a.m.

Staples

Thanksgiving: Closed

Black Friday: Opens at 7 a.m.

Stein Mart

Thanksgiving: Closed

Black Friday: Opens at 7 a.m.

Target

Thanksgiving: 6 p.m. to midnight

Black Friday: Opens at 6 a.m.

Toys R Us

Thanksgiving: 5 p.m. to midnight

Black Friday: Midnight to 11 p.m.

Walmart

Thanksgiving: Most stores open all day; Black Friday sales start at 6 p.m.

Black Friday: Most open 24 hours

This story was originally published November 19, 2017 at 8:30 AM with the headline "Here are the major stores open on Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday in Bradenton area."