GRANDVILLE, MI — RiverTown Crossings will be open on Thanksgiving this year.

West Michigan's biggest mall is set to open its doors at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 27, because many of its tenants are beginning their Black Friday sales even earlier this year.

The new holiday hours are designed to accommodate the needs of retailers, said Amanda Gielczyk, the mall’s marketing director.

One of retailers opening earlier on Thanskgiving is department store chain Macy's, which recently announced it will open stores at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving — two hours earlier than last year.

Macy's stores anchor both RiverTown Crossings in Grandville and Woodland Mall in Kentwood.

Woodland Mall had planned to open at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving as it did last year, but that may change with its anchor's announcement, a spokesman said.

RiverTown is giving its tenants some leeway in their holiday schedules. It requires retailers to open no later than 6 a.m. Friday, Nov. 28.

The Black Friday sales, which actually begin on Thanksgiving recently, are considered the kickoff to the holiday shopping season.

Last year, RiverTown Crossings officially waited until midnight to open, although doors were unlocked at 7 p.m. to allow access to more than 50 retailers who opened their doors at 8 p.m.

The mall experimented with holiday hours in 2010 when it provided access to retailers Sears, Old Navy, Children's Place and restaurant TGI Fridays. Celebration Cinema, which is located at RiverTown, also traditionally has been open on the holiday.

This year, there appear to be more retailers interested in opening on Thanksgiving.

Gielczyk said RiverTown will provide a detailed list of store opening hours in coming weeks on its website, rivertowncrossings.com.

This year, shoppers are expected to spend more on holiday purchases, according to the results of a recent survey by the National Retail Federation.

The average person will spend about $804, up nearly 5 percent from $767 last year, according to the trade group’s survey of about 7,500 consumers.

The trade group forecasts holiday sales to increase 4.1 percent to $616.9 billion, the biggest increase in three years.

Shandra Martinez covers business for MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Email her or follow her on Twitter @shandramartinez.