Retailers' holiday push is earlier, harder this year
Most consumers haven't bought their Thanksgiving turkey yet, but it's already the holiday shopping season in the minds of many retailers.
Wal-Mart, Target and others are aggressively advertising holiday specials online and in stores to get a jump on the spending spree that remains a key contributor to merchants' financial health.
Although Black Friday remains a big shopping day, its importance has been eroded by ever-earlier bargains, the growing clout of online shopping and retailers' fear that the other guys are
