Look Out, Buckhead, Here Comes Black Friday (Or Thursday, at Some Places)

Black Friday, the traditional day-after-Thanksgiving shopping day, comes even earlier this year.

The day is a big one for retailers, especially with the slower sales over the last few years. "It's like our Super Bowl," said Dewayne Herbert, manager of Phipps Plaza in Buckhead.

and will open at midnight Friday. At Buckhead Station's , the shopping clock will be pushed back until 9 p.m. Thursday. The t at 1801 Howell Mill Road won't even close on Thursday.

While Macy's will get a jump on the Christmas shopping season, the rest of Lenox Square will open at 4 a.m., with shopping until 10 p.m. Friday. The mall opens from 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-9 p.m Sunday.

opens at 8 a.m. Friday, with shopping unitl 10 p.m. The mall also opens at 8 a.m. Saturday, closing at 9 p.m., with hours from noon until 6 p.m. Sunday.

The mall, where Black Friday is traditionally not as frenzied as at neighboring Lenox Squre, will also join the earlier shopping trend, with opening at 3 a.m. Friday. will open at 8 a.m., after opening at 9 a.m. last year. Saks will also be open at 8 a.m.

Herbert said the earlier openings are a reaction to those who like to get a quick start on their holiday shopping. "A lot of it is the holiday shopping tradition — it's the career professionals coming out on Black Friday," he said. "Retailers have responded to demand."

While the earlier hours have received some criticism, Herbert said moves such as the Lenox Macy's opening at midnight are the result of understanding what customers want. "That's not something that's coming about out of the blue," he said.

The Buckhead in the Peach Shopping Center will open an hour earlier, at 8 a.m. Friday, offering specials on its Nook e-reader.

Those not wanting to fight the mall crowds — Lenox was ranked the country's sixth-most congested mall on black Friday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said — can shop at locally owned stores.

at Chastain Square will celebrate a "Pink Friday," with specials and free Champagne. It will open at its regular 10 a.m.

Among other local stores offering a leisurely shopping day, with a 10 a.m. opening, are the new on West Paces Ferry and at Powers Ferry Square.