AUBURN — Black Friday is creeping closer to Thursday, and there will be a modest increase in holiday spending this year, experts predict.

Best Buy, Walmart and Kohl’s will open at midnight, part of a national trend of offering deals before shoppers go to bed.

“We’ve never opened at midnight before,” said Bryan Lindsey, general manager of the Auburn Best Buy. “We don’t know what to expect.”

Because the competition was opening at midnight, Best Buy didn’t have a choice, he said. “A lot of customers don’t want to get up early, but they will stay up late.”

Best Buy has ramped up staff for Friday, hiring more people, including security, to make a safe environment for shoppers, Lindsey said.

Opening and staying open for 22 hours will demand more of workers. But it’s a day when everyone wants to work, Lindsey said. There’s so much energy in the store, time goes by quickly, he said.

Other stores, including Sears and JCPenney, are opening at 4 a.m. Friday.

Sticking to the 5 a.m. Black Friday openings are The Home Depot, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Lowe’s and Bed, Bath and Beyond.

But some stores essentially never close, offering online deals 24 hours a day, said Maine Merchants Association Executive Director Curtis Picard.

“You can shop from your Thanksgiving table with your iPad,” he said.

Picard said he’s glad to see staggered times of store openings Friday. It will prevent overcrowding and make shopping safer, he said.

Meanwhile, consumers are expected to spend more this year but continue their careful shopping.

Retailers are competing for those shoppers with deals.

On Thursday, the Sun Journal will include a record weight of inserts, with more than 3 pounds of Black Friday store inserts and coupons.

Nationally, shoppers are expected to spend 2.8 percent more than last year, said University of Maine economics Professor Jim McConnon.

Looking at Maine retail sales from July to September, consumer spending rose 3.1 percent.

“It’s not robust spending, but nonetheless, there’s a little momentum going into this shopping season,” McConnon said.

Consumers are sticking to budgets year-round, McConnon said. That’s allowed many to see their debt fall and their savings grow.

“There is built-up savings on the part of consumers,” McConnon said. “We’re seeing a little bit of spending from that savings.”

But, he added, “we still have a situation where the unemployment rate is high, about what it was last year. We still have 52,000 Mainers unemployed.”

Maine’s unemployment rate for October was 7.6 percent, compared to the national rate of 9 percent.

And the price of essentials — oil, gas and food — are higher than one year ago, which means less disposable income.

“So the signs are mixed,” McConnon said. “Based on positive signs on the spending side, I’m cautiously optimistic consumers appear to be spending again.”

Holiday shoppers will do more of what McConnon called “surgical” shopping, more sophisticated searches for bargains to stretch holiday budgets.

“Price is still a very important factor shoppers will be focused on, just like last year,” he said. “We’ve also seen an increase in retail sales in Maine for specialty stores. People are supporting local, small businesses. I see a continued emphasis in that area.”

Internet sales will continue to grow, McConnon said. The average shopper will do 36 percent of his or her shopping online this year, compared to 33 percent last year, according to the National Retailers Federation, McConnon said.

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Maine law: Big stores can’t be open on Thanksgiving

Black Friday can’t become Black Thursday in Maine, but more stores are opening as soon as they can: midnight.

Maine’s so-called blue law doesn’t allow stores with more than 5,000 square feet to be open on three days: Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, according to the Maine Merchants Association.

There are some exemptions, such as L.L. Bean, which was grandfathered under the law.

Who’s opening when (according to advertisements):

Christmas Tree Shops, 5 a.m.

Walmart, midnight

Staples, 6 a.m.

OfficeMax, 6 a.m.

Agren Appliance, 8 a.m.

Best Buy, midnight

Sears, 4 a.m.

Bed, Bath and Beyond, 5 a.m.

Dick’s, 5 a.m.

Lamey-Wellehan, 5 a.m.

Big Lots, 7 a.m.

The Home Depot, 5 a.m.

JCPenney, 4 a.m.

Lowe’s, 5 a.m.

Kmart, 5 a.m.

Kohl’s, midnight

Olympia Sports, 5 a.m.

Ocean State Job Lots, midnight

Cabela’s, 5 a.m.

Super Shoes, 6 a.m.