Holiday Shopping

This is a busy time of the year for retailers. But, it's also one of the busiest times for crooks. The St. Cloud Police Department's Crime Prevention Specialist John Justin says it's a good idea to have a plan, if your credit card gets stolen.

As more stores push for Thanksgiving shoppers, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is stepping up its game for the official kickoff to the holiday shopping season. The world's largest retailer said Tuesday that it will start to offer its holiday blockbuster deals at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving at its stores, two hours earlier than last year.

Target Corp. says that for the first time it will match prices that customers find on identical products at select online competitors this holiday season. The price match program will cover the period from Nov 1 through Dec. 16.

Macy's Inc. says it will open all of its namesake stores at midnight following Thanksgiving for the first time as the department store operator becomes the latest retailer to expand hours on the traditional kickoff to the holiday season.

As the run-up to holiday shopping intensifies, Target Corp. is saying its stores will open at midnight on Thanksgiving Day for the first time this year. That's four hours earlier than last year.

Wal-Mart is announcing a new strategy that it hopes will pull in procrastinators early by giving them a big incentive: a guarantee that they'll get the lowest price no matter when they buy during the holiday season.

If you can't pay cash, don't get it. That's the message of a financial councilor from Lutheran Social Services, as you start to ramp-up your holiday shopping.