For the fifth year in a row, Black Friday will primarily be a Friday event, as most major retailers have stopped opening on Thanksgiving Thursday since the pandemic.

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Most major retailers tell Scripps News they plan to open early Friday, which is considered the busiest in-person shopping day of the year.

When will the stores open?

Most major retailers will open several hours early the day after Thanksgiving. Retailers noted that there may be local variations in schedules.

Here’s when stores will be open (the list will be updated as retailers announce updated hours):

• Bass Pro boutiques: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Best Buy: TBD
• Cabela’s: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Costco: 9 a.m. to usual closing
• Dick’s Sporting Goods: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Dollar General: Normal hours
• Gap: Open from 5 a.m., but times vary
• Household items: to be determined
• Kohl’s: 5 a.m. to midnight
• Lowe’s: 6 a.m. to regular closing
• JCPenney: TBD
• Macy’s: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Marshall’s: opening at 7:00 a.m.
• Old Navy: open from 5 a.m., but times vary
• Objective: opening at 6 a.m.
• TJ Maxx: opening at 7 a.m.
• Walmart: Normal hours, generally 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

How busy will Black Friday be?

If last year is anything to go by, stores will be busy. According to the National Retail Federation, 2023 marked the busiest Black Friday in four years. The day attracted 76.2 million in-person customers, up from 72.9 million the previous year.

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But Black Friday 2023 remained below pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, the National Retail Federation estimated that 84.2 million people shopped in person on Black Friday. That’s in addition to the 59.9 million who shopped on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and the 37.8 million who shopped on Thanksgiving day itself.

The National Retail Federation expects Black Friday to be busy again this year with 131.7 million people shopping online, in person or both the day after Thanksgiving.