Holiday shopping | Businesses prepare for Black Friday shoppers looking for Christmas gifts [Video]

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Inside Deco Raleigh, owner Pam Blondin and her team are preparing for a busy final month of the year.

“We here think of Black Friday and Small Business Saturday as the kickoff to the holiday season. So that’s our kind of day to make sure we’ve got all the best merchandise out, that things are on the floor, which is why the staff’s running around like crazy today, making the store look great,” said Blondin.

What was once an all-out rush off the top has been transformed into a longer sales period, with some retailers starting their deals even before Thanksgiving.

“It crept into Thanksgiving Day and started ticking people off. I think maybe everybody looked in the mirror and said, ‘What am I doing? Let’s stay sane,'” said Blondin.

“I was talking with a merchant yesterday that they’re looking at their Black Friday special will run through Christmas. That …