<p>Personal disclosure: I work in retail.
Just wondering…how do all of you feel about stores opening on Thanksgiving Day?
No surprise here! As a retail employee, I’m for more blue laws! I mean really people…isn’t it a little selfish to expect sales people to be there to fawn over you on a family holiday? When maybe they would enjoy time with their families? And maybe the luxury of sleep Friday morning?? Isn’t this season about helping others rather than yourself??
Do stores really need to be open on Thanksgiving Day? Christmas Day?? What about Sunday mornings?
If you agree that retailers need a break, too, consider calling customer service or leaving a comment on line for management (they are off for the weekend, of course)
Thanks for your support!</p>
<p>I understand it is hard for the employees to come in after the holiday. I don’t know what is better, after the holiday or having to get up and be at the store at 4 am. I will probably head out after dinner to do some shopping with my DD. I would rather do that then get up early. It is our special time together and have been doing it for the last few years. My husband gets her the day before Thanksgiving, they usually go out for a movie and then we go shopping on Friday. Neither is ideal for the people working there to be honest.</p>
<p>Thanks Lammb66.
I just heard an ad for a local hardware/Christmas store. They are having a “Sleep In” sale that starts 10am on Friday. I like that thinking!!!</p>
<p>I don’t go shopping on black Friday, but will shop on the internet. I did go shopping on black Friday when I was younger, but as I get older I find that I do want to fight over parking, be around crowds, and wait on long lines.</p>
<p>One of my sons has a PT job in retail. He requested to take off the entire Thanksgiving weekend, but he requested this months in advance. He was granted his request, but the store is open (I think the entire Thanksgiving weekend). He has worked on other holidays that did not interfere with family time and it has all worked out. He does get paid time and a half on holidays.</p>
<p>Bottom line, I am fine with businesses being open because there are people who need or want to work. I am not fine with employers who do not consider their sales staff if they do not wish to work and threaten to fire them if they do not show up! Additionally, believe it or not, people might want to visit their parents or sibs in another city and have no intention of working the entire 4 days of this weekend!</p>
<p>I agree with you ksm. I wish stores would open at 9am on Black Friday, and continue with a reasonable schedule throughout the holidays. But then I think there is far too much emphasis on shopping at Christmas in general, and I’m sure that retailers would not agree with me on that one.
I also dislike seeing Christmas decorations out before Thanksgiving. I was watching House the other night, and every commercial was about Christmas shopping. Walmart had some of the most obnoxious ads I think I’ve ever seen, as well as Target. I told my husband that I’m already tired of Christmas and it hasn’t even started. I don’t think I’ll be watching any more television until the holidays are over, and I won’t be shopping on Thanksgiving weekend.</p>
<p>There are many occupations where people have to work on holidays – police officers, fire fighters, hospital personnel, hotel staff, restaurant staff, etc.</p>
<p>If retailing is evolving into being one of those occupations, then this is a factor that people should take into account before taking jobs – or establishing long-term careers – in retail, just as they do before becoming nurses, paramedics, hotel managers, etc.</p>
<p>I personally have NO INTEREST in shopping ON Thanksgiving or the day after. Too many people, merchandise picked over, parking lots dangerous. There is NOTHING on my list that can’t wait until some other time…or be purchased online. </p>
<p>The notion that I would go shopping ON the holiday, regardless of the prices, is beyond my wildest imagination. I want to spend the time with my family and friends…and would like the merchants and their employees to do the same.</p>
<p>THis is a pet peeve of mine. Thanksgiving is one holiday that all of the country can celebrate, a day to be with family and friends. Why do people and stores insist on opening up early so that their workers have to leave their Thanksgiving celebrations early? And why do shoppers continue to rush through their dinners in pursuit of more consumer consumption?</p>
<p>There is still a whole month to do Christmas shopping, if you can’t afford something except at the Black Friday/Black Thursday night price, then you probably shouldn’t buy it at all.</p>
<p>People who work in essential jobs - police/hospital/fire, etc of course are a different situation. They know they are needed, they, hopefully feel needed while at work. Retails stores do not NEED to be open on THanksgiving. And I am sure the corporate executives who make these decisions are not all in the office at 3 am.!</p>
<p>I’m also against opening the stores on Thanksgiving itself.</p>
<p>But it might be a different story if football players wanted the day off.</p>
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<p>It’s not just the “essential jobs” people who have to work on holidays.</p>
<p>My aunt worked at the front desk of a hotel, and later as a manager in the hotel. She often had to work on holidays. In fact, she would deliberately sign up to work on Christmas Day in order to get a different holiday (such as Thanksgiving) off. Her family celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve to make this work out.</p>
<p>My aunt’s job was hardly an essential or emergency service, but that didn’t exempt her from holiday work.</p>
<p>My H was a retail store manager for 20 years. There are not enough clerks who “want” or “need” to work the holidays. I agree with the OP. There is no need for retail stores to be open on holidays. Employees also deserve the day off to spend with their family.</p>
<p>Consumerism in this country is insane. The growing commercialism (and date creep) of the Christmas season annoy me more every year.</p>
<p>I think the move to open stores on Thanksgiving is getting a lot of well deserved backlash.
Personally, I can’t imagine shopping on any holiday. Enough already. When I was a student, I worked in restaurants and frequently had to work on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and at least once on Christmas day. NOTHING more depressing than tending an empty bar on Christmas Eve. D will be working on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.Not our church and way, way across town, so we will miss her. But as a classical singer, she will be making her big money that week as a soloist. Whether it’s an “essential service” or not is open to interpretation.</p>
<p>D requested Thanksgiving day off from a 24/7 type of place, in order to be with family. Her employer put her on full shifts until 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night, then again at 6:30 a.m. Friday morning, but gave her the Thursday off since she asked. </p>
<p>PERFECT. Our household detests this new trend to make retail employees work on Thursday evening of Thanksgiving Day. We wouldn’t dream of shopping on Thursday night, knowing we’d be served by folks deprived of their chance to do whatever they wish on a national holiday - their family, their friends, or nothing at all. Time Off!</p>
<p>OTOH, my D’s workmates all want to be off early on Black Friday, so she’s kind of a hero today for taking the very early Friday shift. Her workmates want and need to shop retail bargains for their families’ Christmas holidays. </p>
<p>We are driving 2 hours both ways on Thursday so she can see her 90-year-old grandfather who lives in a Veterans Home. Her uncle’s making the dinner for us all, since his family is off work that day. If our D had been scheduled for work anytime on Thursday, she’d never get to see Grandpa. There must be a million stories like this that need to be respected. Family matters.</p>
<p>I am grateful that most grocery stores are open Thursday morning in case I forget something, but I’d prefer it if other stores stayed closed all day. I never go shopping on Black Friday since I am allergic to crowds.</p>
<p>I kind of like it when the stores are closed- peaceful.</p>
<p>Both my kids worked every thanksgiving at their volunteer jobs all through high school. Ponies still needed to be fed and exercised, and we went away for the Christmas holiday so they couldn’t call H in to work.</p>
<p>Having the grocery stores is not essential. I think those folks need time with their families too. I checked my supplies today…twice. I have no intention of going to a store tomorrow (or Friday) for any reason.</p>
<p>I am opposed to stores opening at midnight Thanksgiving evening. I like Black Friday deals, but detest shopping in the middle of the night. I have never done it, but friends have told me horrendous tales of traffic jams and parking woes just to have the privilege to shop in the middle of the night. So by the time I get there at 10 AM, the store is a mess and merchandise is picked over.</p>
<p>Today I decided I would try a different approach. I went shopping at my local mall. It wasn’t too busy and the selection was excellent. When I asked the price of an item, I was told it was $52 today, and $20 on Friday. I was disappointed I had to go back on Friday and take the chance the item would be gone, because I will NOT get up early. That was before I decided to join the rest of the world who lives by price adjustments. So I have the item, with the receipt, and I’ll go back Friday evening, when hopefully things will have died down, and get my price adjustment.</p>
<p>All my growing up life my father and brother had to work on Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. We timed our celebration according to their schedules. If they worked 7-3, we celebrated with our big meal in the evening. If they worked 3-11, we all got there early in the morning and had our holiday meal at midday. I don’t shop on the holidays, except for last minute items from the grocery store. So I can see both points of view. </p>
<p>In our area, this is the first time I’ve really noticed all the ads for stores opening at midnight on Thanksgiving. It used to be 5 a.m., then 3 a.m.</p>
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<p>Let me clarify . . . I can think of other jobs that would require holiday work that are needed - hotel staff, AAA auto towing, etc etc. But there is no NEED for retailers to be open that day. I agree that consumerism is wreaking havoc on families and their budgets and I don’t know why more people don’t vote with their feet and stay home.</p>
<p>Myself, I plan to Shop Small on Saturday (well, I already started today by buying local chocolates and handmade soap from the farmers market). [Small</a> Business Saturday](<a href=“http://smallbusinesssaturday.com/]Small”>http://smallbusinesssaturday.com/)</p>
<p>I think the stores should do what they want. If the employees don’t want to work it then they can request the time off, which may or may not be acceptable to the employer, or get a job elsewhere. I keep hearing about the lack of jobs nowadays so it seems that it might not be difficult to find replacements willing to work for money.</p>
<p>When I worked in retail a long time ago I loved working any holiday times since I was paid a lot more per hour for the holiday pay. Once I started working in my profession there were a number of times I needed to work on holidays, including Thanksgiving, and I mean work for over 24 hours straight often times. If I truly hated to do it I would have changed my profession but I realized there was a need for the work to be done at that time.</p>
<p>There certainly shouldn’t be any laws dictating which private businesses can and can’t be open during specific holidays and at the end of the day it’ll be consumers who’ll likely decide because if not enough shoppers hit those stores at midnight on Thanksgiving, which is a ridiculous thing to do IMO, then they’ll quit opening the store in that timeframe.</p>
<p>Some people have declared that Thanksgiving should be left alone for stores opening. Why? What about Christmas day? What if the store owner is non-Christian and has clientele who includes non-Christians wants to be open that day - should it be okay? What if the store owner immigrated from another country and have no special feelings about Thanksgiving? Wouldn’t it make sense they might want to have their store open? What about other traditional American holidays like Easter, Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Washington’s birthday? What about the less traditional ones that are nevertheless practiced by segments of the population (Jewish, Muslim, Mexican, etc.)?</p>
<p>Given that, I won’t go shopping this weekend regardless of when they’re open because it’s too crowded and I think it’s somewhat nutty to go shopping at 3am Friday morning or midnight Thursday night but if that’s what people want to do and the retail outfit thinks it’s a good business plan that’s up to them.</p>