However, the increase in retail dollars doesn't seem to make sense to some Valley shoppers.
While most businesses were closed on Thanksgiving, some remained open. More and more owners this year turned on their open signs.
Sophie Roche of Le Parisien Bakery spent the morning hustling to make dessert pastries for Thanksgiving dinner tables.
Several customers expressed gratitude to Sophie and her employees for being open until noon.
"Yeah, actually they're like 'ohh my God, you're open! I just saw the sign.' They're all happy at us and were like 'thank you for opening for us'. I'm like 'ohh, you're welcome'," Joselyn Fajardo of Le Parisien Bakery said.
Several ethnic restaurants will stay open because Thanksgiving isn't one of their traditional holidays.
Samran Singh of Royal Taj Indian restaurant said they have to stay open or risk losing business.
"That's why. Losing customers. Because if you're not open they'll go somewhere else," he said.
This year a handful of major retailers are getting a head start on Black Friday by opening on Thanksgiving Day.
Places like Walmart and Big Lots were open until at least 8 p.m.
Jim Graham and his son took full advantage of the deals inside.
"Really simple. Nobody around and nice and quiet. Got a great deal on a couch and going to take it home and start cooking turkey," he said.
Sandra and Samuel Hearns of Fresno did the same thing.
"I like it being open today. I mean they shouldn't stay open all day, but to get out it's nice because really people aren't out here because they're waiting for the sales tonight, tomorrow morning. Just think if they were doing it now. People would be normal out shopping," Sandra Hearns said.
An exclusive Action News poll conducted by SurveyUSA shows more than three-quarters of people in the Valley will wait until Friday before starting their holiday shopping.
But those that we caught up with simply like having the option to start early, and these valley stores and restaurants are happy to oblige.
