Old Navy is one of many stores staying open all Thursday night and through Friday morning straight to Friday night.

VALDOSTA — It used to be that stores would open the day after Thanksgiving and welcome in the resulting holiday shopping rush.

Black Friday, it came to be called.

Slowly, stores started opening earlier and earlier from year to year.

Then in 2011 came the inevitable result: several big-box businesses started opening on Thursday night.

Three years later, Gray Thursday — as it has come to be called — has become much more prevalent, with some stores closing for a few hours Thursday night to reopen Friday morning and others staying open straight through Thursday night to Friday morning and closing Friday night.

Black Friday sales have become more layered and complicated.

Take Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart has three separate Black Friday sales this year, the first Thursday at 6 p.m., the second Thursday at 8 p.m., and the third Friday at 6 a.m., with lines starting prior to each individual sale.

Similarly, Best Buy is holding two sales, the first Thursday from 5 p.m. until 1 a.m. and the second Friday at 8 a.m.

If you’re planning on heading out Thursday and/or Friday to do some shopping, here’s what you can expect.

Academy Sports: Closed on Thanksgiving; 5 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday.

Best Buy:  5 p.m.-1 a.m. Thursday; 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday.

Big Lots: 7 a.m.-midnight Thursday; 6 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday.

Books-A-Million: 2 p.m.-midnight Thursday; 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday.

Gamestop (both stores): Closed Thanksgiving; midnight-9 p.m. Friday.

Gander Mountain: 8 a.m.-midnight Thursday; 5 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday.

Kohl’s: 6 p.m. Thursday through midnight Friday (open all night).

JCPenney: 5 p.m. Thursday through 10 p.m. Friday (open all night).

Lowe’s: Closed Thanksgiving; 5 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday.

Michael’s: 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Thursday; 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday.

Office Max: 6-9 p.m. Thursday; 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday.

Old Navy: 4 p.m. Thursday through 9 p.m. Friday (open all night).

Radio Shack: 6 p.m.-midnight Thursday; 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday.

Sam’s Club: Closed Thanksgiving; opens Friday at 7 a.m. for business and plus members, 10 a.m. for other members. Closes at 9 p.m.

Sears: 6 p.m. Thursday through 10 p.m. Friday (open all night).

Target: 6 p.m. Thursday through 11 p.m. Friday (open all night).

The Valdosta Mall: 6 p.m.-midnight Thursday; 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday. Within those hours, individual stores can vary.

Wal-Mart: Open all day Thursday and Friday with sales at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. Friday.