Open on Thanksgiving Day

[amg35]

Originally Posted by Styx Fan

I worked in a movie theatre from 1981-1989. During that time we were 365 days per year. The concession made for holidays was the weekend midnight shows were cancelled when Christmas Eve fell on a Friday or Saturday.

During those years I worked every Christmas Day and most of the other major holidays. And this was all for minimum wage of $3.35 per hour. I kept the job because it worked with my college schedule. After college I only worked a day or 2 a week (and many holidays) to keep my free movie passes!

It wasn't a biggie being open on the less major holidays....but I still think it was/is ridiculous to be open on the major ones. It's just taking advantage of the cheap labor. You can bet, just like in retail, the ones making these decisions are not working those days. I will not shop on major holidays, or go the the movies, or do any business that is not vitally important. Things like a medical emergency.

BIL used to work at BlockBuster Video....same thing....365 days per year, pretty much all day. REally? People can't rent a movie the day before.

And remember it's not just the employees affected on these days, but whole families. Everyone planning holidays around the worker....and often around a teenager making peanuts. Crazy.

Obviously... you support the Blue Collar Man!

[dsny1mom]

I am in retail, however not at store level. If it was up to our company none of our stores would have been open on TG Day. In most retail locations the mall or center dictates what your hours are and what days you must be open via the lease. If you don't comply you are fined, snd not just several hundred dollars, but rather thousands of dollars. You might want to keep this in mind before you blame the actual stores for being open on TG day.

dsny1mom

[diznee25]

I refuse to start 'Black Friday' on Thanksgiving Day. (Think it's been nicknamed 'Grey Thursday'....seriously?) You won't see me step into the stores until Black Friday morning!

However, I am ok with restaurants/movie theaters, stuff of that sort open on major holidays. That's been going on for decades. Back on Christmas Day 97' or 98', I went to the movies to see Titanic with some cousins. There were 13 of us, and we were teens at the time. Needed a break from grandma's house after opening gifts! I think the adults were glad to get rid of us for a few hours!

But I refuse to support this new trend of early shopping....honor Thanksgiving Day and stay closed retail stores!

[Planogirl]

I try and try but can't see the difference between stores and other businesses such as theaters and restaurants being open. I guess that it's really just a matter of personal preference.

[kaytieeldr]

KMart has been open on Thanksgiving (where allowed by law) somewhere around 27 years. All day. Where was the outrage then?

[luvmy3]

Originally Posted by diznee25

I refuse to start 'Black Friday' on Thanksgiving Day. (Think it's been nicknamed 'Grey Thursday'....seriously?) You won't see me step into the stores until Black Friday morning!

However, I am ok with restaurants/movie theaters, stuff of that sort open on major holidays. That's been going on for decades. Back on Christmas Day 97' or 98', I went to the movies to see Titanic with some cousins. There were 13 of us, and we were teens at the time. Needed a break from grandma's house after opening gifts! I think the adults were glad to get rid of us for a few hours!

But I refuse to support this new trend of early shopping....honor Thanksgiving Day and stay closed retail stores!

Honor Thanksgiving-close the retail stores! But keep the restaurants and movie theaters open because someone may need a break.
I don't even know what to say other than your logic is so *** backwards.

[luvmy3]

Originally Posted by Planogirl

I try and try but can't see the difference between stores and other businesses such as theaters and restaurants being open. I guess that it's really just a matter of personal preference.

There is no difference, people just need to be outraged at something. They all sound like a bunch of whiny hypocrits when they start talking about how wrong it is for stores to be open, but its okay for restaurants, movies, hotels, theme parks etc to be open.

[allison443]

Originally Posted by diznee25

I refuse to start 'Black Friday' on Thanksgiving Day. (Think it's been nicknamed 'Grey Thursday'....seriously?) You won't see me step into the stores until Black Friday morning!

However, I am ok with restaurants/movie theaters, stuff of that sort open on major holidays. That's been going on for decades. Back on Christmas Day 97' or 98', I went to the movies to see Titanic with some cousins. There were 13 of us, and we were teens at the time. Needed a break from grandma's house after opening gifts! I think the adults were glad to get rid of us for a few hours!

But I refuse to support this new trend of early shopping....honor Thanksgiving Day and stay closed retail stores!

You understand this is not logical, right?

[pumba]

Maine still has the blue laws on the books...no store open that has more then 5000 sq feet I believe it is..
We just started having Sunday store openings maybe the last fifteen or twenty years...I cant remember..
we also can not hunt on Sunday...YES we are Mainers....hahaha

Have a good Holiday season everyone

[monarchsfan16]

Originally Posted by luvmy3

There is no difference, people just need to be outraged at something. They all sound like a bunch of whiny hypocrits when they start talking about how wrong it is for stores to be open, but its okay for restaurants, movies, hotels, theme parks etc to be open.

Hotels should be open. Not everyone can stay with family when they travel to see them. And Thanksgiving is a family holiday. I get restaurants being open too. They're providing food. That's an essential service. I've never said theme parks should be open on Thanksgiving. 'Course in NH that one is pretty irrelevant, and my mother would all but kill me if I took a vacation on the holiday, so Disney isn't hasn't ever, and will never happen on Thanksgiving.

People don't need to shop on Thanksgiving. Period. If you hate your family, go take a walk, put a movie on, or heck, stay home. Play a board game. There's no reason to go buy a new TV on Thanksgiving.

[RitaE]

I guess I don't see why there has to be some justifiable reason for a store to be open beyond the fact that customers want it and stores want to provide it. We don't live in a country that dictates our personal lives to that extent.

[luvmy3]

Originally Posted by monarchsfan16

Hotels should be open. Not everyone can stay with family when they travel to see them. And Thanksgiving is a family holiday. I get restaurants being open too. They're providing food. That's an essential service. I've never said theme parks should be open on Thanksgiving. 'Course in NH that one is pretty irrelevant, and my mother would all but kill me if I took a vacation on the holiday, so Disney isn't hasn't ever, and will never happen on Thanksgiving.

People don't need to shop on Thanksgiving. Period. If you hate your family, go take a walk, put a movie on, or heck, stay home. Play a board game. There's no reason to go buy a new TV on Thanksgiving.

Why the assumption that people hate their family and that is why they go shop? Why do you assume that everyone should stay home on the third Thursday in November because you yourself want to?
Sorry, not everyone in this country celebrates Thanksgiving, and not everyone feels the need to spend 24 hours with their family that day. And newsflash, that doesn't mean they hate them
You don't want to shop on Thanksgiving by all means don't, but please stop assuming your beliefs about the holiday are what everyone should feel. Spend your day how you want and stop whining about how others choose too.

[monarchsfan16]

Originally Posted by luvmy3

Why the assumption that people hate their family and that is why they go shop? Why do you assume that everyone should stay home on the third Thursday in November because you yourself want to?
Sorry, not everyone in this country celebrates Thanksgiving, and not everyone feels the need to spend 24 hours with their family that day. And newsflash, that doesn't mean they hate them
You don't want to shop on Thanksgiving by all means don't, but please stop assuming your beliefs about the holiday are what everyone should feel. Spend your day how you want and stop whining about how others choose too.

Why the assumption that everyone that thinks Thanksgiving should remain a holiday is whining? I'm not whining (I no longer work retail). I'm stating my beliefs. This is a family holiday, an AMERICAN holiday. If it weren't for what Thanksgiving represents, we wouldn't have this nation as it is to live in, whether we are citizens or not. Stores were closed for years on Thanksgiving, and it's only because people have become too greedy to not shop on the holiday that stores have been opening on the holiday. I've seen Black Friday from the other side, and there is NO reason to force that on associates on a holiday they used to have off. Yes, hotels and restaurants are open, but you don't see fist fights happening there just because of a bargain.

As far as not celebrating the holiday, we won't be celebrating Christmas on Christmas this year. Does that mean I expect stores to open to entertain me? No. I will entertain myself for that holiday so that employees can be with their families.

[allison443]

Originally Posted by RitaE

I guess I don't see why there has to be some justifiable reason for a store to be open beyond the fact that customers want it and stores want to provide it. We don't live in a country that dictates our personal lives to that extent.

I agree. It's supply and demand, and apparently the demand is there.

[monarchsfan16]

Originally Posted by allison443

I agree. It's supply and demand, and apparently the demand is there.

My impression is that the demand is to go shopping in the middle of the night. Why not have the "midnight madness" the night between Black Friday and Saturday? Then the shoppers who want to stay out all night are happy and the associates get to spend the holiday with their family.