Black Friday isn't just about shoppers, Michigan-based mall operator Taubman reminds us.

It's also about the store and mall employees who have to get up even earlier than the shoppers to stock and staff the stores that open as early as 12 a.m. Friday (as in the outlet malls in Howell and Birch Run).

So how do you show appreciation for the employees who make Black Friday possible?

At Taubman malls - like Twelve Oaks in Novi - workers will get free breakfast and mini-massages, according to a post on Reuters.com.

"The idea is that if those workers are happier - and well fed — the day can be a bit less stressful for everyone," according the article.

Briarwood Mall manager Ida Hendrix said store and mall employees there will arrive on Nov. 27 anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes before their respective stores open. That means 4 a.m. at JC Penney and Sears, 5 a.m. for most of the rest of the mall, and 9 a.m. at Von Maur and any retailer that opted out of the early open time.

Read the rest of the Reuters article here.