Thanksgiving Day could become the new Black Friday now that many stores will be opening their doors to shoppers Thursday evening for traditional discounts and deals.Several major retail chains will start offering their holiday specials on Thanksgiving Day for those who decide to start shopping before Friday’s early morning rush.According to William Wertz, a director for community and media relations with Walmart, Thursday openings are in response to customer requests.“We conduct surveys with customers, and this is in response to customer preferences,” Wertz said of Thanksgiving Day openings. “They would prefer to shop earlier rather than getting up in the middle of the night. We know that millions of customers are hoping to start shopping Thanksgiving night.”As a result, Walmart locations nationwide will not only remain open Thursday, but will also begin offering their Black Friday deals at 8 p.m. Wertz says Walmart is hoping for this to be “the best Black Friday yet.”Target and Michaels locations in Gainesville also will open Thursday for Black Friday deals.Despite the convenience early openings may offer anxious shoppers, many local residents see the move as detrimental for the employees who will have to work the holiday shift.“I think it’s a sad thing for people to have to work on Thanksgiving,” Hall County resident Hollie Valley said.