Kohl’s joins other retailers opening Thanksgiving night

Kohl’s said its stores are opening 6 p.m. Thanksgiving, two hours earlier than last year.

The Wisconsin chain is opening at the same time as several other retailers, including Macy’s and J.C. Penney, which have moved up their shopping hours as retailers hustle to win shoppers in what is shaping up to be a highly competitive holiday season.

Kohl’s said stores will remain open for 30 straight hours through midnight Friday.

Kevin Mansell, Kohl’s chief executive, said in a statement that the company will be a “compelling shopping destination” for consumers.

Many retailers began kicking off Black Friday with increasingly earlier hours several years ago when the economy was hitting rough times and the jobless rate was climbing.

The National Retail Federation predicted that spending through the holiday season will jump a healthy 4.1% to $616.9 billion. But many retailers are choosing to open their doors even earlier to woo shoppers during the holidays, when they can make up to 40% of their total annual sales.

Twitter: @ShanLi