Big holiday savings are the name of the game, and shoppers this year have begun responding to the early deals that began appearing as soon as Thanksgiving Day this year. More than a few retailers have extended their holiday shopping hours, in the hopes of catching consumers who want to avoid the holiday rush that is typically a part of the shopping experience. The game is on… and the outcome could spell the end of Black Friday as we knew it.

Televisions were amongst the biggest items for sale during Thanksgiving, giving retailers in the electronics business a leg up on hitting solid numbers for the year. Big box giants Wal-Mart and Best Buy both put items like Panasonic’ 50-inch HD on sale, with Sears also getting serious about savings with a $1,000 dollar door-buster.

On the lower end of he price spectrum, Target offered some of the most talked-about deals in retail, with items like bath robes and other house wares priced at holiday levels.

In the virtual shopping landscape, and on desktops and laptops across the country, Thanksgiving global retail Internet traffic for 270 top global retail websites was hitting rates of well over 1 million page views per minute, compared to just under the million mark at the same time last year, according to Internet services provider Akamai Technologies Inc.’s Retail Net Usage Index.

It’s all part of a phenomenon that is quickly becoming known as “Grey Friday,” a progression from the usual Black Friday kickoff to the sales season.

With consumer spending weaker than usual in the last two years, retailers and other sellers have had to adapt and change their game plan to better suit a new breed of shopper who looks for deals with greater care in the selection process. There have also been many innovations and updates in the way marketing is handled as well.

While it may signal the end of a long-time holiday tradition, the mood amongst retailers is upbeat, as most comments made to reporters and journalists were largely in favor of extending hours and spreading the sales out over a longer period of time, rather than making a chaotic scene during shorter, more intense moments with customers literally fighting for the best deals in town.

Big chains like Sears and Toys R Us have joined Wal-Mart and Kmart in offering Thanksgiving Day hours. To keep the momentum going past Friday, many retailers will offer fresh discounts Saturday and Sunday.

Numbers reveal that consumer spending at the nation’s retailers has been generally healthy all year. Economists are predicting the best holiday season since 2006 and are estimating a year-over-year retail sales increase of 2.3% to 3.5% this time around.

Still, retailers aren’t taking any chances this year. Most Wal-Mart stores will host midnight events, handing out a variety of treats such as breakfast bars, chocolates, and other goodies, to help keep overnight shoppers from feeling the burn as fatigue kicks in. Target will also open at 4am, which is an hour earlier than last year, and the company will be offering more door-buster deals than ever before. Wholesale and retail supercenter Kohl’s is also hedging its bets with a strategy that includes its earliest-ever opening, that will bring shoppers in at 3am to be first in the checkout line.