It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Black Friday

— -- With Christmas only a few weeks away, big box retailers are already releasing previews of their holiday sales. Target announced Monday that for the first time ever, it’s launching a full 10 days of Black Friday bargains. It will start the Sunday before Thanksgiving, offering different discounts every day, letting customers preorder Black Friday door-busters days in advance. But if you prefer to shop in store on the day after Thanksgiving, you’ll receive a coupon for 20 percent off. Target isn’t the only one gearing up for a bumper holiday season, with Walmart starting its holiday sales the day after Halloween. Mega chains like Macy's, Sears and Toys R Us plan to open their double-doors during Thanksgiving dinner, something they started doing last year. But it turns out, last year's early deals apparently hurt sales over the Thanksgiving weekend, with shoppers spending about 6.4 percent less than they did the year before, according to the National Retail Federation. Some companies are trying an altogether different route: Nordstrom, which will not decorate its stores for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. And REI CEO Jerry Stritzke says he’s paying his employees to take Black Friday off to “remind ourselves of the essential truth that life is richer, more connected and complete when you choose to spend it outside.” They’re even shutting down the website, which will feature a black takeover screen to encourage customers to spend the day with family.