How do you guys feel about black friday on Thurs?

[jhawks482]

I know that Christmas decorating before Thanksgiving is a big no-no for some. How do you all feel about the black Friday shopping hoopla that seems to becoming a big thing to start on Thanksgiving day? Discuss!

I worked at the mall for about 7 years through high school and college, and being open on Thanksgiving was completely unheard of then. The mall opened at like, 6 am and I worked a crazy day, but I would have been really pissed to have to come in on the evening of Thanksgiving. The Old Navy in town opened at noon last year on Thanksgiving!

[emoflamingo]

I don't do BF shopping because I'm not crazy enough (and I usually have my shopping done before BF anyways because I don't deal with crowds and traffic all that great) but I really dislike that they're moving it up and up. I like to think I'm just boycotting that by not going.

[sierramist03]

I think it's ridiculous and I'm sad they can't even give retail people a day with their families and I love Black Friday shopping I do it every year

[kaylie]

Most black friday deals are available both online and in stores nowadays, so if there are idiots out there that feel the need to be out shopping on Thanksgiving, that's on them. It's unfair to employees that the store is open on Thanksgiving, but I don't think most people go into retail for the flexible scheduling. Capitalism is pretty heartless.

[mrs.jacinthe]

We don't BF shop so it really doesn't have an effect on my holiday, so to speak. However, it bothers me that we as a culture have gone to this point. I hope nobody turns out at those hours so that retailers get the message, but honestly I'm sure they'll get the same $$ in sales regardless. *sigh*

[lmbml]

I think it's getting a little crazy, 4or 5 am on Friday is fine. I want to celebrate tday. I also want to get good deals. I've been bf shopping a couple times.

[SusanBAnthony]

I like to shop on BF, I might not even buy much, but it is fun to go out and about with my mom and sister.

I would never go on Thursday, and I feel bad for any employees that are forced to work on Friday and don't want to, but all in all, I can't get that excited about this. Who cares? If no one shows up to shop, they will stop opening. If lots of morons show up, well, good for them,, hope they had fun.

[jhawks482]

Nov 13, 2012 19:50:17 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

We don't BF shop so it really doesn't have an effect on my holiday, so to speak. However, it bothers me that we as a culture have gone to this point. I hope nobody turns out at those hours so that retailers get the message, but honestly I'm sure they'll get the same $$ in sales regardless. *sigh*

This is pretty much me. The last few years driving home from our families house at night, the parking lots have been packed and lines are forming. I think retailers probably feel the need to keep up with their competitors- so, it just keeps getting earlier and earlier.

[pinkeggs]

I think it's completely ridiculous. Workers can't even celebrate Thanksgiving anymore, I feel like.

As I read somewhere else: Only in America do you spend all day celebrating what you have only to rush out that night to clobber each other and buy more stuff.

[schilauferin]

i personally don't mind it, i won't be shopping t-day, but will be going out mid morning (10am) on friday...

in the past I have worked at a movie theatre, which was open everyday of the year, so thanksgiving and christmas were practically required.... since my siblings were working there too we were trying to be on the same shift so we could have family time...as well

with my past in mind I don't mind working on holidays, we would just move our hoilday to another time

[Deleted]

It's ridiculous!

Nobody needs that much sh*t in their life that it can't wait 6 more hours.
Get back to your family and friends people! Target will always be there.

Sorry, this gets me irrationally worked up. Like nothing is sacred anymore. Bothers me a lot.

That and if you want to shop so desperately there's always the internet.

There was a thing on the news tonight about how being open Thanksgiving is what the consumer "wants." I was like what consumer? Nobody I know wouldn't even think about giving up family time for shopping...and I have family where they thrive on Black Friday at 3am.

Then again, I'm not the biggest fan of Black Friday either. I don't get the point. I went with my sister once at 4am hit 3 stores, had a coffee and casually shopped the rest of the day. It was fun, but I didn't get all wrapped in the hype. Usually I stay home, or hit Target like at 2pm. What was on sale at 4am is still on sale then and if they don't have it it wasn't meant to be!

[bunnymendelbaum]

I think it's crap.

I don't Black Friday shop unless I'm in the same city as my mom and sisters. Then I just go for fun, I rarely buy anything.

They are coming here this year and I really hope they don't want to go on Thursday. I'll be a little pissed.

[salsaverde]

Nov 13, 2012 20:18:33 GMT -5 @justdairy said:

It's ridiculous!

Nobody needs that much sh*t in their life that it can't wait 6 more hours.
Get back to your family and friends people! Target will always be there.

Sorry, this gets me irrationally worked up. Like nothing is sacred anymore. Bothers me a lot.

That and if you want to shop so desperately there's always the internet.

There was a thing on the news tonight about how being open Thanksgiving is what the consumer "wants." I was like what consumer? Nobody I know wouldn't even think about giving up family time for shopping...and I have family where they thrive on Black Friday at 3am.

Then again, I'm not the biggest fan of Black Friday either. I don't get the point. I went with my sister once at 4am hit 3 stores, had a coffee and casually shopped the rest of the day. It was fun, but I didn't get all wrapped in the hype. Usually I stay home, or hit Target like at 2pm. What was on sale at 4am is still on sale then and if they don't have it it wasn't meant to be!

Word for word what I was going to say.

[bg09]

Nov 13, 2012 20:18:33 GMT -5 @justdairy said:

It's ridiculous!

Nobody needs that much sh*t in their life that it can't wait 6 more hours.
Get back to your family and friends people! Target will always be there.

Sorry, this gets me irrationally worked up. Like nothing is sacred anymore. Bothers me a lot.

That and if you want to shop so desperately there's always the internet.

There was a thing on the news tonight about how being open Thanksgiving is what the consumer "wants." I was like what consumer? Nobody I know wouldn't even think about giving up family time for shopping...and I have family where they thrive on Black Friday at 3am.

Then again, I'm not the biggest fan of Black Friday either. I don't get the point. I went with my sister once at 4am hit 3 stores, had a coffee and casually shopped the rest of the day. It was fun, but I didn't get all wrapped in the hype. Usually I stay home, or hit Target like at 2pm. What was on sale at 4am is still on sale then and if they don't have it it wasn't meant to be!

This exactly! I do black friday occasionally, but not anytime before 8am ever. I might consider going earlier on the morning of black friday IF there was something specific that was on sale that I REALLY wanted and I thought it might sell out fast, but that's it.

[RoxMonster]

I do think Black Friday in general has gotten kind of ridiculous. However, as far as the worker thing goes, when you sign up to work retail during the holidays, you know going in about the hours required. I have worked retail during the holidays (pre-Thanksgiving openings) as well as worked in a restaurant that was open Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. At that job, every single person had to work each holiday regardless, and this was a policy they told you when interviewing for the job. I knew full well going in that I was working Thanksgiving, XMas Eve and XMas Day. There are plenty of industries out there where working holidays is required, but no one ever seems to get up in arms until a store opens at 9PM on TGviging (the restaurant I worked at, I had to work 10-4 on Christmas Day, so not much sympathy from me on this).

Had I not been OK with that I wouldn't have taken the job. So I'm in the middle. While I don't think it's necessary to be open on Thurs. at all, I also don't think these stores just now told their employees of this. I'm sure they knew from the get-go. And if they didn't and it was just sprung on them this week, then I feel differently.

[davescatch]

I think it's horrible......reason #45 why I would never take a job in retail!

[Deleted]

I also think my opinion stems from the fact I work a job where holidays are mandatory and part of life. Cows do not care if it is Thanksgiving or Tuesday. Someone has to do it. I love what I do but the constant rescheduling/cutting events short blows.
I guess I do not see the point in making people work that do not have to be esp. When it just boils down to a quick dollar rather than essential. I also feel like if I can find a way to rotate through help so everyone isnt missing every holiday storrs can too.

[dec13th]

I am against. Open Friday morning. Boston.com just did an article on this, too.

[emoflamingo]

Okay seriously, not EVERYONE has the option of picking a different job so that they get holidays off. So if the options are "have a job and be forced to work ON thanksgiving because the only job I can get sucks like that" or "not have money to feed my family or have heat," I'm going to guess most people choose the former and not the latter.

[emoflamingo]

Nov 14, 2012 10:49:23 GMT -5 @justdairy said:

I also think my opinion stems from the fact I work a job where holidays are mandatory and part of life. Cows do not care if it is Thanksgiving or Tuesday. Someone has to do it. I love what I do but the constant rescheduling/cutting events short blows.
I guess I do not see the point in making people work that do not have to be esp. When it just boils down to a quick dollar rather than essential. I also feel like if I can find a way to rotate through help so everyone isnt missing every holiday storrs can too.

Both of my sisters and one of my cousins are CNAs, so they often work holidays too. It sucks, but it's kind of necessary, someone has to be at the retirement home or the hospital. There is no legit reason to open for sales at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving night except to be the first person to make a sale.

[TBM]

I don't really have a problem with the night time thursday sales, but Thanksgiving is not a huge deal to me anyway....particularly once the meal is over.

I know a family who makes it a tradition to hit the outlet mall near us, after the Thanksgiving dinner is over and the dishes are done. They say that it is much better to get out and about than to sit around in a food coma, and they have a blast. I asked an outlet mall employee about it, and she said that it wasn't a big deal to her to work that night, since she had time for family and food before coming to work. She was just sorry to miss out on some of the deals at other stores.


ETA: I grew up with a Mom who was a nurse at a hospital, DH and I have both worked in restaurants and I worked retail, my brother is a pharmacist at a 24 hour store, and one of my daughters and my son in law worked at Disneyland, so I am used to holiday planning around work schedules.

Besides...I am thankful every day, and don't need a holiday to remind me to give thanks. I don't need a holiday as an excuse to cook a feast either, so it isn't a huge deal to me. I am thinking that the lack of affection for Thanksgiving has more to do with being bored at my grandparents house on holidays as a kid, because I was much younger than my siblings and cousins, and much older than my cousins kids. I would have rather gone shopping, even as a kid.

[tarheels]

Nov 14, 2012 11:04:42 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

Nov 14, 2012 10:49:23 GMT -5 @justdairy said:

I also think my opinion stems from the fact I work a job where holidays are mandatory and part of life. Cows do not care if it is Thanksgiving or Tuesday. Someone has to do it. I love what I do but the constant rescheduling/cutting events short blows.
I guess I do not see the point in making people work that do not have to be esp. When it just boils down to a quick dollar rather than essential. I also feel like if I can find a way to rotate through help so everyone isnt missing every holiday storrs can too.

Both of my sisters and one of my cousins are CNAs, so they often work holidays too. It sucks, but it's kind of necessary, someone has to be at the retirement home or the hospital. There is no legit reason to open for sales at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving night except to be the first person to make a sale.

I agree with this. The argument that cops, soldiers, and airline pilots have to work, so why shouldn't retail, makes zero sense to me. There's an obvious difference between vital, public service and retail.

[Deleted]

Nov 14, 2012 11:19:40 GMT -5 tarheels said:

Nov 14, 2012 11:04:42 GMT -5 emoflamingo said:

Both of my sisters and one of my cousins are CNAs, so they often work holidays too. It sucks, but it's kind of necessary, someone has to be at the retirement home or the hospital. There is no legit reason to open for sales at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving night except to be the first person to make a sale.

I agree with this. The argument that cops, soldiers, and airline pilots have to work, so why shouldn't retail, makes zero sense to me. There's an obvious difference between vital, public service and retail.

Exactly to the both of you! a target tv isnt on the same level of need as nurses caring for animals etc. I do it and think it sucks so why would i want anyone else to do it that doesnt have to be? The money behind this makes me nuts. Its sad that making or saving a buck takes precedence over other things.

[amblor]

I love going black Friday shopping. It's hilarious and I love people watching. But Black Friday is the FRIDAY AFTER Thanksgiving. Not on Thursday/Thanksgiving. It's its own separate day people. And Thanksgiving is a holiday that no one should have to work.

People will be there to shop on Thanksgiving though. They're crazy enough to punch each other over $3 kids pajamas at Walmart (true observation from two years ago).

[boiler717]

I hate it. However, I think it could be a fun post-meal tradition but that's not worth having other people have to work for me, so I'll skip it.

[Deleted]

I think it is ridiculous. As someone who works for a store open on Thanksgiving I absolutely refuse to go int any store on Thanksgiving no matter what I forgot/how good the sale is. Those people have families they want to spend the day with too. As long as people shop though, stores will stay open. I know it is business and they are there to make a profit but it makes me sad that so many places have such disregard for employees/families.

I think if stores want to be open on Thanksgiving, the hourly associates should get the day off and the CEOs and Presidents should be in stores running register.

[kyliek29]

I'm with everyone else, it's crazy. I love getting up early (like 4am) to shop on black friday with my mom. But the fact that they are opening the day/night before, plus taking people away from their families is wrong. Makes it less special.