Macy's To Kick Off Black Friday Earlier Than Ever

The war on Thanksgiving has officially begun.

Macy's confirmed to The Huffington Post Tuesday that it will open stores to Black Friday shoppers at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving day -- two hours earlier than it opened last year.

In doing so, Macy's became the first major retailer in 2014 to wage war on Thanksgiving -- a day people traditionally spend with family and friends. In recent years, the so-called "Black Friday creep" has caused more and more low-wage workers to miss out on their own turkey dinners so they can staff the kickoff of the year's busiest shopping season.

Last year, dozens of retailers, desperate to get the most out of the holiday shopping season, opened their doors earlier than ever. Walmart kicked off its Black Friday deals at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Target opened at 8 o'clock that evening.

A Macy's spokesperson told HuffPost in an email that most of this year's Thanksgiving shifts have already been filled voluntarily, and that workers who take opening shifts on the holiday will be compensated with "incentive pay." CNBC reports that workers will be paid time and a half for shifts that begin on Thanksgiving.

The company has already announced that it plans to hire 86,000 additional workers to staff the holiday season.