Not everyone could wait until Black Friday.
A number of eager shoppers took advantage of Thanksgiving hours at Chicago stores like Sears, Toys R Us, Wal-Mart and Kmart.
"I was planning to come in at 5 a.m. but I fell asleep," said one shopper at a KMart Location. "I still got what I wanted."
The stores that stayed open are trying to capitalize on a shopping frenzy that has built into the fabric of the holidays. Black Friday has long been a crazed shopping experience, but now retailers are trying to extend the magic into a whole week of deals.
Customers were eating it up.
"We're glad they're open," said one shopper at a downtown Sears location. "I got some good deals."
The Thanksgiving offerings likely won't stem the tide of early morning shoppers hunting down deals on Black Friday, however.