Retailers gearing up for Black Friday pandemonium are hoping even earlier Thanksgiving openings will help them capture more market share.

Stores such as Walmart and Sears will start Black Friday sales at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving. That’s two hours earlier than last year for Walmart, and the first Thanksgiving opening for Sears.

Kmart will start holiday deals even earlier, at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving and 5 a.m. on Black Friday.

More retailers also are jumping on the midnight bandwagon in hopes of luring more customers who have become accustomed to the overnight shopping frenzy.

"At this point it’s a cultural phenomenon," said Nathaniel Hartmann, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Hawaii Shidler College of Business. "It’s sort of become an event where you see families go out together. Retailers know if they can get them in their store, they’re keeping them out of competitors’ stores."

Hartmann said retailers are moving away from the deep discounting consumers have seen in recent years because of substantial losses on the advertised sale items, which has proved not to be cost-effective. He added that merchants likely will push things like extended warranties to offset lower profit margins on sale items.

"What’s happening now is stores are trying to compete in ways other than prices," he said. "Stores are less willing to take losses on certain products. Now they’re trying to find ways to bring customers in that don’t require them to take losses. One of those ways is by opening a little earlier. It’s a different way for them to compete."

Indeed, last year about a dozen stores opened at midnight on Black Friday at Pearlridge Center. That number has more than doubled to roughly 30 this year.

"Merchants are doing what customers are demanding," said Pearlridge spokes­woman Debo­rah Shar­key.

Fred Paine, general manager for Pearlridge, said, "It’s just become this sort of a new thing that they realize people are going to be there, so they might as well see if they can capture it. Last year there weren’t that many retailers open. But for the merchants that were open, it was profitable for them to do so."

Alex Kirley, marketing manager for Windward Mall, said the number of stores opening early on Black Friday has doubled from a year ago to 20, and more retailers are expected to join in. The Kaneohe mall is trying to lure early-morning shoppers by making Black Friday an event with giveaways and prizes, including a trip to Las Vegas.

"It’s certainly a very competitive environment," said Scott Creel, group marketing manager at Ala Moana Center. "That’s the nature of retail. You have major retailers, whereas they were once concerned about leaking Black Friday ads, they’re now promoting them early to secure their business. The philosophy has changed."

Some retailers are calling it Black Friday Week, or promoting pre-Black Friday sales events, spreading deals over several days.

A large number of local retailers are following the major national chains such as Target Corp., which will open its doors at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving — three hours earlier than last year.

As many as 147 million people plan to shop on Black Friday weekend — a slight decrease from the 152 million who planned to do so last year — according to a preliminary shopping survey by the National Retail Federation.

By some estimates Black Friday — traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the holiday season — accounts for as much as 40 percent of a retailer’s annual sales.

Tanna Dang, owner of Eden in Love and the Wedding Cafe in Ward Warehouse, is extending sale hours to accommodate an estimated 800 to 900 people, up from 500 to 800 last year, at a pop-up sale in two conference rooms above the tiny boutique.

"We have more stock than we’ve ever had. Black Friday is such a big day for us, for all retailers," she said. "Not only do we have to buy merchandise, we also had to purchase fixtures, rolling racks. There’s a lot of costs that goes into putting on a large pop-up sale like this for Black Friday. Everybody is stepping up their game for Black Friday, which elevates the entire retail industry."