By Bryan Navarro
MEDFORD, Ore. -- It's still more than a week from Thanksgiving, but in some places Christmas decorations are already up and preparations for Black Friday underway.
As the saying goes, the customer is always right. When Rogue Valley stores open their doors earlier than ever before for Black Friday, they say they're just meeting the customers demands.
Doorbusters used to be at 4 or 5 in the morning. Now, the trend is midnight. Best Buy is pushing back the usual four a.m. open in favor of midnight. Target is also opening at midnight. For Toys R Us, Black Friday begins on Thanksgiving Thursday at 10 p.m. Wal-Mart is open 24-7, all day Friday and all day Thursday. About two-dozen shops in the Rogue Valley Mall are planning to welcome the Black Friday green at the stroke of midnight.
Some say earlier hours means easier shopping. Rather than waking up in the middle of the night, customers can go Christmas crazy as soon as Thanksgiving celebration is over.
On the flipside of the shoppers are the holiday workers. Local economists say on average, over the past ten years, there's about 3,500 seasonal jobs added each year to the retail industry in Jackson County.