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Holiday Shoppers Getting Early Start On Thanksgiving

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - While today is Thanksgiving, it's not stopping people from getting an early jump on their holiday shopping.

This year, local Kmart stores opened at 6 a.m. Around 5:45 a.m., about two dozen people lined up outside the Kmart in Monroeville.

"Anybody who ever gets up this early has to be crazy. I mean you're looking for bargains you really don't need, but they're there," Faith Kocsis said.

Call her and many, many others crazy then. Faith was one of just dozens who arrived at Kmart hoping to score a deal.

"They have a lot of things I'm going to look for. I'll probably be here for an hour-and-a-half and then I'm going to go home and try and get some sleep," she said.

"I am here for the mini bike. And we're here for two of the sofa sleepers," Michelle Robinson said. "I'm getting a basketball hoop too."

If the ads for door busters didn't pull people in, apparently KDKA-TV's Heather Abraham's live reports this morning convinced a few people to shop early.

"You motivated me. I was watching you on TV, standing outside the door saying there were only a few people here. So, I live right up the street. So, I decided to come out and check out all the specials," Joanne Schricker said.

Kmart is one of an increasing number of retailers open on Thanksgiving. While Black Friday used to be the unofficial start to the holiday shopping season, it's now an extended weekend of shopping, starting on Thursday.

The National Retail Federation says in 2014, about 32 percent said they did their shopping Thanksgiving weekend on Thursday, 65 percent on Black Friday, 52 percent on Saturday and about 26 percent said they shopped on Sunday.

Store manager Craig Judy, who's been with Kmart for 30 years, said even if the stores aren't packed, it doesn't mean business is hurting.

"A little decline, but that's all turned into online shopping. Our online orders are very heavy, especially over this time period on Thursday and Black Friday," Judy said.

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