NEW YORK — Forget the bird — shopping was on the minds of many yesterday as people sought an early start to the frenetic season of gift-buying.

Many shoppers said they liked the idea of stores being open on Thanksgiving so they could avoid the onslaught of the retail masses today on "Black Friday."

"I woke up this morning and I said, 'I'm finished cooking. I'm going to do a little shopping!' " said Cynthia Bess, pushing a cart filled to the brim with a stereo, clothing and toys at a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Gates, N.Y., near Rochester.

Most major department stores were closed, but discount chains such as Kmart and Payless ShoeSource Inc. opened.

Stores open yesterday on O'ahu included Wal-Mart, Longs, Sports Authority and Kmart.

"In general, stores are making a bigger push for the total weekend, starting from Thursday through Monday," said Michelle Bogan, a retail strategist at Kurt Salmon Associates.

Bogan noted that Thanksgiving Day had "always been a protected day, a day that people spend with family." But with consumers starved for time, "retailers are starting to realize it is a great time to draw people into the stores. Customers are excited to have another alternative," she said.

Last year, the busiest shopping day was Saturday, Dec. 18, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. The day after Thanksgiving was the second-busiest day.