Black Thursday: Toys "R" Us Opens at 9 p.m.Thanksgiving Night

In a bleak economy, as retail outlets vie for business with online stores accessible 24/7, the holiday shopping season was given a jump start on Thanksgiving night. 

Leading the pack was , which, for the first time ever, opened nationwide on the holiday at 9 p.m. Dozens of eager shoppers, sated from their holiday feasts, queued up outside Toys "R" Us in Holbrook. Some customers waited from as early as 6 p.m. to get first crack at the more than $12,500 in savings, including doorbusters, advertised in the Thanksgiving weekend circular.

Many like Elsie Delaney, 65, from Medford came down grudgingly as the doors opened.

"You are losing something, family time. We had a big discussion at dinnertime, but we're still here. Where is the sense of family?," said Delaney. "This is really the only holiday that doesn't have a formal denomination ... a holiday where everyone should [be with] family."

Shopper Alexa Russo, also from Medford, worries that more and more stores opening earlier and earlier every year diminishes the specialness of the day. She said, "Soon it seems they'll all not close; then Thanksgiving is just another day."

Others like Kim Reimer, 44, from Sayville were thrilled with the change.

"It's awesome. It's not infringing on the day, because it's later in the evening ... I think the day is already commercialized, so a few hours before doesn't matter," she said.

Some shoppers expressed that heading to the store right after dinner was much easier than going to a sale that started at midnight or in the wee hours of the morning.

"It's great. They usually open at five in the morning. I just paid a babysitter. It's better than waking up at 4 a.m.," said Shirley resident Christine Mancuso.

Marianna Taliercio, 42, from Oakdale, was on hand to pick up an Xbox for her 5-year-old son, but wished she could have waited until the next day.

"I think it almost forces you to go out. They should leave the holiday alone. I don't think stores should open at 10 p.m. or midnight. Have that one sacred day. You see sales; it opened at 9 p.m. I never heard such a thing.  Everything will be gone in the morning," said Taliercio. "Do I agree with it?  No. But what are you going to do? I also don't think it's good for people that have to come out to work."

Holbrook resident Abby Lalonde, 33, found the early start extremely helpful, and with no downside.

"My holiday is usually done by 4 p.m., so it means I don't have to get the kids to bed, my husband does. There are not many days we both have off, so it's just more convenient for me," said Lalonde.  "It's not like we're ending the holiday early. They're all hyper from all the dessert, so it's his problem now."