It's up to the retailer. It's called Black Friday because, as the busiest shopping day of the year in the US, it's supposed to be the first day the retailers show a profit
(ie, they're "in the black" as opposed to "in the red" referring to the color of the ink on the loss and profit sides of the ledger
) after factoring in annual expenses
(including their cost of the items to be sold
) and taxes. Having just celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday, Americans turn their attention to the Christmas season and begin shopping for gifts. Unfortunately, this year a lot of discount retailers
(whose merchandise is usually produced in places such as Bangladesh and Southeast Asia under sweatshop conditions and is of lower quality
) are trying to get ahead of the game by opening their stores on Thanksgiving Day rather than closing for the one day and allowing their employees to spend the day with their families.