Wal-Mart Extends Black Friday Hours

Wal-Mart’s (Stock Quote: WMT) Black Friday deals are so good, people would kill for them and, unfortunately, last year proved the point.

Thousands of overeager shoppers crowded outside a Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, New York, before store hours and accidentally trampled a Wal-Mart employee to death when the doors finally opened.

Customers may be even more ravenous this year as Wal-Mart continues to roll out one crazy deal after another in order to lure cash strapped Americans to their storefront.

In order to avoid another catastrophe this year, Wal-Mart is making several changes to the way its stores operate over Thanksgiving weekend. Discount stores will open at 6am on Thanksgiving Day and stay open through the night and all through Black Friday. (Wal-Mart’s supercenters will keep their usual schedule for the holidays).

As for the famous Black Friday bargain items, these won’t be rolled out in the store until 5am, as usual. But the hope is that customers will be more orderly if they don’t have to wait in line outside. "(Shoppers) will be dispersed through a 200,000 square foot store as opposed to all being right by the front door, waiting to go in," according to a spokesman for the company.

Once customers enter the store, they will see changes, too.