The holidays are approaching, but it seems stores roll out their products and gifts earlier and earlier each year. Now Black Friday doesnât start at midnight-it starts the evening of Thanksgiving when stores like Walmart, Target, malls, and more open early.
For workers this means Thanksgiving is just another work day, and itâs unlikely that the will get to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. For shoppers this means their marathon shopping starts earlier this year, and Doorbuster deals are going earlier than ever.
I am not typically a Black Friday shopper since many of the deals arenât worth the wait in my opinion, but I have ventured out with friends like last year when I went to Target with 3 friends. It was refreshingly empty and I managed to find some great deals.
While I love the holidays and we tend to start decorating early so we can enjoy it longer I worry that this holiday creep will eventually cause stores to be open all day on Thanksgiving-taking away precious family time that we all need.
What do you think of stores opening on Thursday? Bad news since you work in retail? Good news since you donât have to stay up late?
Update: While some stores were listing 8pm open times, many now have early morning open times and plan to be open ALL day on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
Kelly
Julie says
I def agree that it is too out of hand. Whether people “think” they need it or not, everyone needs a break to relax with family and friends. Do people forget that 50(ish) years ago that stores were closed on Sundays?!
Iâm sure Europe (especially Italy with month-long siestas off) are laughing at our ridiculous consumerism.
Iâm seeing ads for Walmart and Kmart opening at 8am. Okay, I will concede, that is ridonkulous. Only grocery stores and hospitals should be open at 8am on a holiday. Grief!
Boo. đ
I just read something that said that some stores are opening at 6 or 9 AM! So yeah, the whole Turkey Day thing wonât be happening for those folks.
Iâll be in VA this year. đ
I agree there is an element of choice, but as I touched on above I think there are some income inequality issues at play. While I ADORE Target (and have even worked there!) retail workers arenât always given the choice. Sometimes you have to work because you arenât senior enough to take time off or youâre a seasonal employee. So itâs not always a choice-though I will say in my experience MOST people are there by choice, and getting paid overtime certainly doesnât hurt!
The turkey is done in our house around 3pm so 8 isnât that crazy, but my thinking was for workers they have to arrive earlier on such a hectic day (often an hour before-sometimes more) and shoppers will inevitably camp out starting Wednesday night! Again, their choice for sure, but I think there are other issues at play here as well.
And I appreciate your two cents! Are we going out again this year? It was much more fun with friends. đ
Like I said I tend to agree. I did find some great in store deals at Target last year that I was mostly happy with, but I tend to worry less about the deal than purchasing the right item. Like choosing a lesser quality item because itâs a ‘dealâ versus buying something for a few bucks more that will last twice as long.
Having worked retail I can say generally youâre correct that people choose, but there are folks who donât have the days off to request off and are scheduled to work. Itâs not as simple as saying you donât want to work that day unfortunately.
I agree that the focus on consumerism is somewhat maddening, and while it may seem like a different topic I think itâs connected. Many people use Black Friday, Cyber Monday et all to purchase things for themselves that they wouldnât otherwise be able to afford. From my mostly comfortable middle class desk Iâm all too aware that those items are not all ‘wantsâ they may be items like a new laptop that someone needs to further their studies/career. I think itâs part consumerism, but it also is partly that weâve set up a large portion of our population to not earn enough to enjoy the occasional want or need without having to go through that madness.
Iâm certainly not one to run out on Thanksgiving to shop but I also donât think itâs the travesty everyone is making it out to be. For one thing, if people werenât shopping, the stores wouldnât be open. No one is forcing people to go out. Also, the workers get paid really well to work those hours, and some might really appreciate the extra income to buy presents for their own kids and family members. A lot of people are lonely on holidays and they often take the holiday shifts. And also, only speaking for Target, b/c I have a relationship with them, but they open at 8pm. In my world, the turkey is long put away by then. Of course, it might get earlier with each passing year… and maybe other stores open earlier, I dunno. I donât really understand why everyone is getting worked up about it, though. Not that YOU are getting worked up about it, but since you asked, that is my 2 cents. đ
I clearly have mom brain. Lol.
haha! that wasnât late afternoon! that was 7 am!!!
I donât rush out for Black Friday, but for some reason I naturally wake up early EVERY year anyway. So, a few times, Iâve snuck out and shopped. Last year I did really well at Target with you all. But breakfast was even better.
erinmktgmama says
The deals are NEVER worth it to be…whether it means getting up at 4am (um,no) or going out Thanksgiving night (BIG NO!). Besides you can usually find similar deals the entire next week or online.
I think itâs much. In a few years time, will it be “Black Week” and the deals start the SUNDAY before Thanksgiving, culminating in the BEST deals by Friday? Someone made a very good point that most people who work retail arenât MADE to work, and many who opt to work are paid well. It is their choice to work, and for some, they may welcome the distraction because they donât have family or friends to celebrate holidays with - or could really use the extra money.
All that being said, I have a distaste for the commercialism and consumerism our country seems to be enraptured with, especially when we look at the disparity in other parts of the world. BUT thatâs a different topic all together đ