Retailers have already begun trying to gain an advantage over competitors by announcing plans to keep their stores open overnight on Black Friday, the traditional Friday after-Thanksgiving kickoff to the holiday season.

One month before Black Friday, on October 29, Swedish fast-fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz said its Penn Station store in New York and its Powell Street store in San Francisco will each open at 6 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 28, and remain open through 11 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29. Two other H&M stores -- one on the Third Street Promenade in Los Angeles and the other on Chicago's State Street -- will stay open until midnight on Friday.

H&M offered 24-hour shopping at the New York store last year and added extended hours to other stores this year. "Based on last year's success and response from our consumers, we realize that some of our shoppers are unable to make it out to our stores early," H&M spokesperson Shaneika Haskins said. "This is a way for us to accommodate everyone by extending our normal operating hours so everyone has a chance to find that perfect gift at an affordable price."

"Getting to be top of mind and making the store accessible to consumers during the big shopping days has become very important," said NPD chief industry analyst, Marshal Cohen. "That means more hours."