“It is already busy. And a lot of our Black Friday deals actually started Sunday, so we’re already seeing guests in here taking advantage of the good deals,” Anderson said. The weekend sales push comes as Target faces significant business challenges. The company’s stock price has dropped 35% this year, and the CEO stepped down in August.

Black Friday once evoked scenes from a historical war drama, as blanket-clad shoppers shielded themselves from frigid winds while waiting for the gates of the local mall to open at dawn.

There were few takers early Friday morning at Target's big-box store near Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, where shoppers seemed to be outnumbered by staff who were rearranging merchandise and affixing si...