J.C. Penney Follows Macy’s In Pre-Black Friday Rush

The Black Friday arms race has begun

By Charlotte Alter

J.C. Penney is joining Macy’s in the drive to start the holiday shopping season even before Black Friday, announcing that it will open many stores at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

The new schedule means the department store will effectively have a 25-hour Black Friday, from 8 p.m. on Thursday to 9 p.m. on Friday, the Associated Press reports. Macy’s recently announced the same Thanksgiving Day opening time.

Last year, J.C. Penney was considered a shopping slowpoke when its 6 a.m. Black Friday opening lagged behind other stores. J.C. Penney is also bringing back its holiday tradition of a massive snowglobe giveaway starting at 4 a.m. on Black Friday.

The new holiday schedule comes as the retailer tries to bounce back from the disastrous tenure of former CEO Ron Johnson, who was fired after a botched holiday season last year and a fiscal year with a billion dollars in losses.

[AP]

Read more: http://business.time.com/2013/10/18/j-c-penney-follows-macys-in-pre-black-friday-rush/#ixzz2i69DtQPE