Earlier hours for Black Friday holiday shopping this year - Chicago News and Weather | FOX 32 News

While most people will be waiting for the turkey to cook Thursday, others will get an early start to holiday shopping.

Black Friday, the busiest and craziest shopping day of the year, is almost here. In fact, some giant retailers are starting their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving evening for the first time, laying out their best discounts in electronics toys and more, on a night traditionally spent with family.

Eddrin Barnes says all the 450 employees at Roosevelt and S. Clark St. will be required to work.

"We're opening at 9 p.m. for our guests," Barnes says. "We have to keep up with our competitors and we want to make sure we're delivering our amazing services for our guests and make sure we're available for them and giving them the same opportunity to shop that every other retailer is as well."

Other retailers are also feeling the pressure to get the holiday shopping season off to a strong start. Walmart, Toys-R-Us, and Sears/K-mart will open at 8 p.m. Thursday and shoppers are making their plans.

"Might as well get started early," says Marilyn Kalayal.

"I am going to skip the family events after and go wait in line," says Brittany Jones.

Not everyone is happy, however, that Black Friday will fall on the holiday.

More than 370,000 workers have signed a petition on change.org urging Target to save Thanksgiving. There are dozens of more similar petitions too.

There are three states that have made it illegal for retailers to operate on Thanksgiving Day: Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island.