The Black Friday debate continues - 21 News Now, More Local News for Youngstown, Ohio -

The Black Friday debate continues

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BOARDMAN TOWNSHIP, Ohio - The debate over some retailers' decision to start Black Friday on Thanksgiving Day continues.

It's a move that some shoppers are ready to embrace, but others are rejecting.

The whole Black Friday phenomenon started back in 1975 and the sole purpose of early bird specials and door buster price breaks was to get shoppers into the stores.

For many people, being in line on Black Friday has become an annual tradition, sort of a holiday of its own.

And this year shoppers will have several more choices.

Stores offering Thanksgiving hours include Wal-Mart and K-Mart, who will open early and then close and re-open on Thanksgiving night, plus Toys-R-Us, Sears and Targe.

At Youngstown State University's Williamson School of Business, marketing and advertising instructor Michael Pontikos says it's all about keeping up with the competition.

"Each company, the big box stores, are trying to up one another on the sales," Pontikos said.

It's a first this year for Target and it's using several methods to get the word out. "Check out our ad at target.com or your Target mobile app on your i-Phone. You'll also get it in your daily newspaper," said Cristin Manson from the Boardman Target.

Target is expecting the same type of crowds as Black Friday and along with extra off duty police officers it is taking steps for orderly crowd control. "Letting guests in in a cadence manner so they're not all coming in at the same time," Manson said.

Pontikos thinks people who have long embraced Black Friday will turn out on Thursday as well. "People will get excited for it they're looking for that special deal that they can get."

Some people like the idea because they don't have to set the alarm so early on Friday. But others say they believe retailers should leave Thanksgiving alone. "I'm not a Black Friday shopper and there's no way I'd shop on thanksgiving," said Mary Moderelli from Lake Milton.