Has Black Friday Worn Out its Welcome?

Retailers are shifting their holiday promotions up earlier each year, and the buzz has moved progressively from Cyber Monday to Black Friday and finally to Thanksgiving Day itself, with reports of mass merchants beginning their sales in the middle of what is for many still an important family holiday. Is this a bridge too far? An October survey from credit card comparison and financial education website CreditDonkey.com found that 41 percent of U.S. consumers planned to shop on Black Friday this year, compared to 57 percent who said they would shop a few days later on Cyber Monday.