MA Malls Still Considered Rather Conservative for Black Friday

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With less calendar days for holiday shopping between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, many large retailers are making the decision to open earlier than ever on actual Thanksgiving Day—a controversial move not necessarily greeted with open arms. Traditionally, the routine was to open doors at 6am on Black Friday, but an article in The Boston Globe notes that kickoff times have inched closer toward midnight in recent years, though overall Massachusetts malls tend to be more conservative than neighboring states which open at 8pm on Thanksgiving Day. Reportedly, Braintree mayer Joseph Sullivan put his foot down and denied a Kmart request to open on the holiday.

Simon Malls including the Northshore Mall, South Shore Plaza, and the Burlington Mall will welcome shoppers at 12:30am on Friday, while Wrentham Village Premium Outlets will open at 12:01am and the Natick Mall will usher in visitors at 12am.
· Suburban malls preparing for wee-hour shoppers [Boston Globe]
· All 'Gray Thursday' coverage [Racked National]