Walmart Reveals Black Friday Ad Early

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(BENTONVILLE, Ark.) -- The holiday shopping season is getting an early start as Walmart announced its stores will open at 10 p.m. and revealed its deals on Thursday. Meanwhile, Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Macy's, Kohl's and Target are reportedly embracing a midnight schedule.

Walmart is trying to get a leg up on its competitors by revealing its deals much earlier than it did last year on Nov. 22.

The company said deals on toys, home items and clothing will start at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving day. Electronics deals will start at midnight, including over $100 off an Xbox360 game console. Other deals will begin at 8 a.m. on Black Friday.

At Walmart.com, customers can sign up to receive an early preview of Black Friday deals by entering their email address to sign up. The store is also allowing shoppers to sign up through the company's Facebook page.

Competitiveness in the retail sector intensifies every holiday season, though Target said it still plans to reveal its Black Friday deals the day before Thanksgiving. Holiday activity provides about 20 percent of retailers' annual sales every year.

Last week, Amazon launched its early Black Friday deals store for those looking for discounts on such products as cameras, video games and jewelry.

Because of an anemic economy, many retailers are trying to lure customers as analysts predict an average holiday shopping season. According to the National Retail Federal, retail sales for 2011 are expected to increase 2.8 percent to $465.6 billion.

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