Wal-Mart Stores (WMT), Target (TGT) and Sears (SHLD) are all slated to release third-quarter earnings Thursday amid preparations to open doors the earliest ever for the holiday shopping kick-off on "Black Friday," Nov. 23 this year. They're also still assessing damages from Superstorm Sandy. Last week, a large group of department stores reported results, capped by J.C. Penney's (JCP) worse-than-expected 27% dive in sales. Penney joined Kohl's