Here’s when stores in Bradenton-Sarasota will open on Black Friday — if not sooner
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the Thursday hours for Bealls.
Let the holiday frenzy begin.
The Thanksgiving leftovers will still be warm when shoppers head to stores to look for bargains, or, increasingly, use their smart phone to shop online.
Some brick-and-mortar businesses, like Ellenton Premium Outlets, won’t wait for Black Friday. The outlet mall will be open 6 p.m. Thursday until 2 a.m. Friday, and resume 6 a.m. – 10 p.m. Friday.
The Mall at University Town Center will be open on Thanksgiving from 6 p.m. until midnight, and reopen two hours earlier than usual on Black Friday to offer sales, 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
DeSoto Square mall officials did not return a phone call. Its website lists its hours as 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Nearly half — 47 percent — of consumers will do the majority of their holiday shopping on the internet, a 21 percent increase from two years ago, AAA – The Auto Club Group reports.
AAA notes, however, that in the last two years one in three Florida residents has been the victim of identity theft.
One third of Floridians are more concerned than last year about the security of their personal data when purchasing gifts online, according to a recent AAA Consumer Pulse survey.
Many online retailers began advertising their holiday sales three weeks ago, said Mike Snipes, an economics instructor at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee.
“There has been a huge shift to online sales,” Snipes said.
Asked where he will do his holiday shopping, Snipes said he will divide it between online and brick-and-mortar businesses.
“I like to support brick-and-mortar businesses as much as I can,” Snipes said. “For instance, I try to buy my books at Barnes and Noble.”
As much as it is known for feasting, Thanksgiving has become known as the start of the shopping season with Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday following on the heels of Black Friday.
Shop Small on Small Business Saturday, celebrated this year on Nov. 24, can have a significant local economic impact, according to the new Small Business Economic Impact Study from American Express.
An average 67 cents of every dollar spent at a small business stays in the local community.
Small Business Saturday was created in 2010 by American Express as a way to help get more customers through the doors of small businesses and has grown to become a permanent fixture of the holiday shopping weekend.
Cyber Monday is the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday and has become one of the biggest online shopping days of the year.
“Shopping online allows consumers to avoid the crowds and shop at their convenience,” said Matt Nasworthy, Florida public affairs director for AAA. “Online shopping is also an area of concern for many customers, in regards to data security. We encourage shoppers to only purchase gifts from trusted sources and enroll in an identity theft protection program.”
Here’s a rundown of hours for the major stores in the Bradenton area for Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Hours are subject to change:
Bealls
Thanksgiving: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Black Friday: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Best Buy
Thanksgiving: 5 p.m.–1 a.m.
Black Friday: 8 a.m.–10 p.m.
Big Lots
Thanksgiving: 7 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Black Friday: opens 6 a.m.
Dick’s Sporting Goods
Thanksgiving: 6 p.m.-2 a.m.
Black Friday: 5 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Dillard’s
Thanksgiving: Closed
Black Friday: Opens at 8 a.m.
Dollar General
Thanksgiving: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Black Friday: Opens at 8 a.m.
Dollar Tree
Thanksgiving: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Black Friday: 8 a.m. -10 p.m.
Ellenton Premium Outlets
Thanksgiving: 6 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Black Friday: 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Hobby Lobby
Thanksgiving: Closed
Black Friday: 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Home Depot
Thanksgiving: Closed
Black Friday: Opens at 6 a.m.
JCPenney
Thanksgiving: 2 p.m. - midnight
Black Friday: Midnight - 10 p.m.
Kmart
Thanksgiving: 6 a.m. - midnight
Black Friday: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Kohl’s
Thanksgiving: Open 5 p.m.
Black Friday: Midnight - 11 p.m.
Lowe’s
Thanksgiving: Closed
Black Friday: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Macy’s
Thanksgiving: 5 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Black Friday: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Mall at University Town Center
Thanksgiving: 6 p.m. - midnight
Black Friday: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Marshalls
Thanksgiving: Closed
Black Friday: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Michaels
Thanksgiving: 6 p.m. - midnight
Black Friday: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Office Depot
Thanksgiving: Closed
Black Friday: 8 a.m.- 9 p.m.
Pier 1 Imports
Thanksgiving: Closed
Black Friday: 8 a.m. - 10 p.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: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Target
Thanksgiving: 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Black Friday: Opens at 7 a.m.
Walmart
Thanksgiving: Opens at 6 p.m.
Black Friday: Staying open from Thanksgiving
This story was originally published November 19, 2018 at 1:21 PM.