Black Friday 2009 Wal-Mart

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) At a New York Wal-Mart, last year's Black Friday wasn't just busy, it was deadly. A massive crowd crushed temporary Wal-Mart employee Jdimytai Damour to death.

In 2009, the world's largest retailer says it will do better and is ready to face the massive crowd of bargain hunters.

Wal-Mart Stores announced Wednesday it will keep its stores open 24 hours to prevent a rush at its doors and take new crowd-control measures during the 2009 Thanksgiving weekend.




Wal-Mart says day-after-Thanksgiving sales will begin at 5 a.m. Nov. 27, but most U.S. stores will be open 24 hours to prevent a mad dash. The announcement doesn't affect most of Wal-Mart's Supercenters, which are already open 24 hours.

Federal safety regulators cited Wal-Mart for inadequate crowd management after the Nov. 28, 2008, death of a temporary employee at a Long Island, N.Y., store. A crowd of shoppers broke down the store's doors, trapping Damour, who died of asphyxiation.

Wal-Mart was required to create improved crowd management plans for all its 92 New York stores as part of a deal with prosecutors that avoided criminal charges in the trampling death.