Target will start Black Friday sales 5 days early

CHICAGO — Target Corp. said on Monday it will launch its Black Friday promotions five days early, with 10 days of deals on electronics, toys and apparel in stores and online starting Nov. 22.

Early promotions do not hurt Black Friday, but instead encourage customers to make more shopping trips, Tina Tyler, Target's chief stores officer, said on a media conference call.

"I don't know if we would say we are shifting away, I think we are adding to it."

Target's decision highlights the waning importance of Black Friday, which until a few years ago kicked off the U.S. holiday shopping season. The Friday after Thanksgiving, which falls on Nov. 26 this year, is when retailers traditionally go "in the black" after being "in the red" almost all year.

Early discounts and online shopping hurt Thanksgiving weekend sales last year as shoppers on average spent 6.4 percent less than in 2013, according to data from the National Retail Federation.

Target said it will open its stores at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving.

Deals include a 20 percent discount, for shoppers who spend $75 or more on Nov. 27, for a purchase between Dec. 4 and Dec. 13; 40 percent off all apparel; and buy-one-get-50 percent-off on select Star War Toys.