For shoppers who are trying to cut back on holiday spending, retailers are cutting prices and starting Black Friday shopping earlier than ever before.

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is one of the biggest shopping days of the year in the U.S.

This year, retailers such as Walmart, Target and Kohl’s, among others, are opening their doors with Black Friday specials, earlier than in previous years.

Walmart will begin its Black Friday sales at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

“Our customers told us they would rather stay up late to shop than get up early, so we’re going to hold special events on Thanksgiving and Black Friday,” Duncan Mac Naughton, chief merchandising officer, Walmart U.S said. “We’ll have this season’s hottest gifts at prices only Walmart can provide. And by sharing our Black Friday specials earlier than ever, we hope to make buying decisions easier for parents working hard to give their families the Christmas they deserve.”

Target will open at midnight on Black Friday, four hours earlier than last year.

“The holidays bring hectic schedules and tight budgets, so extending store hours and offering lots of additional ways to save makes Target a great choice for affordable, one-stop holiday shopping,” Tina Schiel, executive vice president of Target said.

Amber Lunceford, of Magnolia, and Melissa Carswell, of Tomball, were among several who said they love the new hours.

Ashley Nations, who teaches in Tomball, said she will be taking advantage of the extended hours. She added that she and her sister have shopped on Black Friday for the past few years and it has become a tradition.

“We have a lot of fun,” she said.

In previous years, she stated that she and her sister wake up early to begin shopping. This year, the two plan to shop on Thanksgiving Day.

Jennifer Ally, of Tomball, said she did not plan on shopping Black Friday, because she disagreed with the extended hours and their encroachment on the holiday.

“Honestly, I don’t like that their opening on Thursday,” she said. “It’s not fair to employees.”

She added that she had already done all of her shopping prior to Black Friday.

Other residents expressed similar attitudes about Black Friday shopping, saying they would take advantage of lower prices prior to Black Friday or shop online.

According to the National Retail Federation, holiday retail sales for the industry will be up 2.8 percent, which is slower than last year's 5.2 percent.

However, Black Friday sales have been a bonus to retailers during the economic downturn.

According to a preliminary Black Friday shopping survey, conducted for the National Retail Federation by BIGresearch, up to 152 million people plan to shop Black Friday weekend, higher than the 138 million people who planned to do so last year. According to the survey, 74 million people say they will definitely hit the stores and another 77 million are waiting to see if the bargains are worth braving the cold and the crowds.

Black Friday is Nov. 27. Check with local retailers for more information on opening times and sales.

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