New York - Wal-Mart plans to open most of its stores at midnight the day after Thanksgiving, the company said Monday, becoming the latest in a series of retailers to expand hours to lure in shoppers who want to get a head-start on holiday bargain shopping.

The world’s largest retailer also is offering shoppers a sneak preview of the discounts it has planned, from laptops to jeans.

As of Oct. 31, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. operated 3,792 Walmart stores, of which 2,882 are supercenters. The company’s super centers are typically open around the clock. But the rest of its stores previously opened at 5 a.m the day after Thanksgiving.

Starting at midnight, Wal-Mart will offer discounts on a wide range of items from toys to clothing, including $9 Wrangler jeans and $15 Lego tubs. The company’s big electronics sale will start at 5 a.m. Friday, featuring $298 15.6-inch HP Laptops, $198 Emerson 32-inch LCD HDTV TVs and $59 Kodak Digital cameras.

Sears Holdings Corp., which operates Kmart and Sears, Roebuck and Co., said recently that its Sears, Roebuck stores will be opening on Thanksgiving Day for the first time in its history. Toys R Us announced last week that it will open its stores at 10 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.

Yeah some great deals but I don't want to fight the crowd.

http://apps.facebook.com/walmartfb/

They unveil after they cried about it.

I guess Slickdeals has spoiled me, since those deals seem very "meh" to me. I have had nothing buy bad luck with cheap Kodak cameras (or I guess any <$120 camera), 32 inches seems to small for a TV in this day and age (except for maybe in a bedroom, but personally I've never had one in my bedroom and don't feel the need), and my $198 eMachine Wal-Mart laptop (bought on a Monday with no crowds!) is still working fabulously.

$9 jeans is good, but I'm hard to fit and Wal-mart jeans just don't work for me.

Looking at the whole ad, I'd probably be buying a lot if I had kids.

Overall, BF is a lot of hype. People will be lining up over these deals and it will be a total mad house, yet, when Wal-Mart had the eMachine right there in the add for $100 less than the HP laptop with similar specs, no one was there and they had plenty of them.

i like the waffle maker for 9 bucks.. they are usually 39.99, but i won't be getting up early to buy it.

I'm sure there will be mass crowds fighting over the 9 dollar Wrangler jeans :rofl2:

they should give the earlier access to the people who lost their jobs and the ones have kids at home. If that's what they eventually do, I am happy to pay full price for my christmas gifts. Call it BS, I am full of it.

:scratch: 32" Emerson for $198 ... or the 40" Whestinghouse for $298 at Target ... for my Mom

She's got a 32" plain ol' fashioned one now ... so I think either would work for her ... decisions decisions ... :(

You will get trampled for the $3 toaster!

I really like the 198 emachine laptop deal, but I'm not sure I want to fight the crowds for one item.

I guess I am going to Target...