Black Friday Rumors

[jrmasm]

Them's the breaks for people in that line of work. My son works for a movie theatre chain - do you think they give a rip for people who want to stay home with family on Thanksgiving or Christmas? That would be a big "NOPE!" I never see the outrage about theatres being open, though.

No one feels sorry for waiters/waitresses/ cooks etc either.

 

[nugov2]

I can understand your excitement but as the mother of an 18 year old who works retail and now has to be to work at 6:30 on Thanksgiving I am less than pleased.

There is nothing to me that is worth it or more important than time with family on a national holiday. She is not a member of any essential service so it bothers me that she HAS to go into work and will be there overnight so that people can get deals that will not be nearly as good as the ones her store is currently offering.

People assume that because it is Black Friday that the deals are amazing and better than anything else. Not the case here.

I will be home on Thanksgiving and on Friday. If it is something that I have to buy I will find a way to buy it another day or go without.

I get your disappointment, but the reality of it is there are tons of people who have to work that are not essential and it isn't only retail. WDW is open and lots of other theme parks, not to mention tons of other places(like the pp mentioned movie theaters), bars and restaurants are open. Those places are about as essential as going out shopping. Honestly I am one who does shop sales, but I can see both sides of this and why people want to be together. I just don't get why only retail employees get the sympathy when there are tons of others who have to work that nobody ever complains about. I think many people just accommodate their working family member by eating early. If you have to be at work have an early dinner at 2.

Back to the original discussion...I love stalking the BF websites for the ads. I won't shop at most of the stores, but it is still fun to look at them. Last year we got a ton of stuff from Best Buy. My dh got there 15 minutes before they opened and grabbed everything we needed and was home in under an hour. The early opening time was a big saver. We still have younger kids, so we are typically home from Thanksgiving by about 4:30. We usually get to my MIL's by about noon.

 

[JanaDee]

Them's the breaks for people in that line of work. My son works for a movie theatre chain - do you think they give a rip for people who want to stay home with family on Thanksgiving or Christmas? That would be a big "NOPE!" I never see the outrage about theatres being open, though.

I never knew theaters were even open on Thanksgiving.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

It isn't just the people that have to work, because there will ALWAYS be someone that has to work...to me it is the way it is creeping earlier and earlier into Thanksgiving making the holiday less and less important except as carb-loading for marathon shopping.

It's now gone to 6-8 pm...in five years it will be noon. Might as well just start on July 5th, thats where it is heading in a couple of decades.

 

[JanaDee]

If you have to be at work have an early dinner at 2.

When you travel for Thanksgiving, "just eat earlier" doesn't work.

I would love if everything was closed on Thanksgiving with the exception of hospitals and police, since those red herrings are always thrown into this discussion. Yes, that includes WDW and restaurants.

People don't work retail expecting to work Thanksgiving Day or Christmas.

 

[Scootypuffjr]

Everyone in the airline industry has to work so that other people can spend time with their families. I remember when I worked for Delta, some guy on Christmas Eve was yelling at me because his flight was cancelled due to weather and said, "Do you have any idea what it's like to not be with your family for Christmas? I wanted to say, "why yes, I'm a 20 year old college student sitting in a call center in Atlanta 2000 miles away from home". Instead, I just rebooked him on the next flight I could. It was the job that I chose, so you deal with the crud that comes along with it.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

No one feels sorry for waiters/waitresses/ cooks etc either.

I feel bad for them. That's why I always give them a huge tip on Christmas Day. We are a family that goes out to the movies and dinner every year on Christmas. It's my youngest sons birthday. So we celebrate Christmas in the morning and birthday in the afternoon.

We also travel to Orlando on thanksgiving every other year. So we are going out to eat or to a disney or universal park. I do feel bad for those employees, but the reality is that it's the job they have.

 

[Flamingeaux]

My sister heard that Walmart will have a 50" tv for about $270.

last year we got a nice 55" from Sams online - it would have been sweeter if I had gotten the deal on the 60" one. If we could get the same deal or a better one for a 50" I would be happy. I want to upgrade the tv in the master bedroom to something bigger than our 32" one.

 

[nugov2]

When you travel for Thanksgiving, "just eat earlier" doesn't work.

I would love if everything was closed on Thanksgiving with the exception of hospitals and police, since those red herrings are always thrown into this discussion. Yes, that includes WDW and restaurants.

People don't work retail expecting to work Thanksgiving Day or Christmas.

Well, I'd guess people who fly or travel hours away it wouldn't work for, but I'd suspect working at all on Thanksgiving wouldn't work or at 1am on Friday either as most wouldn't travel by air or long car ride to turn around for work. Now traveling under an hour wouldn't make a difference and you could eat earlier.

I'd be fine with everything closing. I don't have to shop, but I like to and it is open so why not. It doesn't change my family time b/c like I said my kids are young and we are home earlier, but as they get older I certainly wouldn't change my family time to fit into my shopping. Nothing is worth that, but I would take me dd shopping and enjoy the evening together as she gets older and enjoys hitting the stores. I see lots of mother/daughter and even grandmother/mother/daughter people out shopping together. Seems like a fun thing to do together, but again no sale is worth missing out on being with my family. In a perfect world everything would be closed, but that won't happen so it seems silly to complain about it year after year. People are always going to shop so the stores will always open. People will always go to movies and bars(one of the biggest nights of the year for them) so they will always be open. Just the nature of the beast. I think it is just important if you have a family member who works for someplace that is typically open on those days you just have to plan accordingly. If it involves interstate travel possibly have Thanksgiving celebration another day. To me it is just a day to have a special meal with those you love and celebrate your gratitude for all the loved ones in your life. That can be done on another day and in my family we have two. As we have gotten older we can't all be together in my immediate family b/c my brother has his wife's family and it is only fair to divide holidays. We always have a 2nd Thanksgiving. It is a holiday about nothing more than love and togetherness(my favorite holiday actually) so why not spread it out a little.

 

[MnMomtoboys]

I didn't expects this to be a black Friday bashing thread. OP you should change the title.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

Think this should be the TLR Wikipedia entry for Black Friday:

Black Friday, a holiday celebrated by trampling people and getting in fights over low priced items the day after giving thanks for what you already have.

 

[gator75]

I just found out from the manager of our Best Buy that they will open at 6:00 on Thanksgiving. It also helps that he is our neighbor i like to hear the lowdown. He has to be to work at 2:00 that day.

 

[JanaDee]

I just found out from the manager of our Best Buy that they will open at 6:00 on Thanksgiving. It also helps that he is our neighbor i like to hear the lowdown. He has to be to work at 2:00 that day.

Our local malls are opening at 6pm on Thanksgiving, too.

 

[KKB]

Last year I was able to secure deals on the line the week before TG that were every bit as good as any I saw for Black Friday--in my sweats with a cup of coffee and relaxing music in the background...

Of course at our house there are few gifts to buy--we no longer exchange with cousins, or adult siblings. Only immediate family & parents. And we have been trying to do a family trip as our Xmas gift; if that doesn't work, I ask the teens for 3 things they REALLY want more than anything--one gma buys one, the other buys one & I buy one. (when those teen items run $100-200+ each that's the only way to do it!) Last year they each got PJs & a book (annual tradition), one other clothing item & their big item. They are more into the getting together with family these days. That's nice.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

L

Of course at our house there are few gifts to buy--

You mean people actually shop for others on Black Friday still? I thought most people were going for doorbusters for themselves.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

That would be me. I'm outraged at the silly junk that is sold and the fact that people are so rude, that they go to the movies, Disney theme parks, other entertainment venues.

When you marry into police and fire Holidays aren't always on the national day.

This year Xmas will be on the 24th for us, I have volunteer to work xmas as long as I can bring my 11dd with me.

I have been going to the movies on Thanksgiving for more than 30 years - kind of a family tradition! I don't see anything rude about it.

I used to work for an airline and worked 7 Thanksgiving days in a row - its not a big deal.

 

[nicolita3]

I have been going to the movies on Thanksgiving for more than 30 years - kind of a family tradition! I don't see anything rude about it.

Me too, even Christmas we have a very small family there are no kids in our family so it's eat and celebrate and that only lasts a few hours so we go to the movies.

 

[tcherjen]

That would be me. I'm outraged at the silly junk that is sold and the fact that people are so rude, that they go to the movies, Disney theme parks, other entertainment venues.

When you marry into police and fire Holidays aren't always on the national day.

This year Xmas will be on the 24th for us, I have volunteer to work xmas as long as I can bring my 11dd with me.

My husband was in law enforcement for 11 years before he changed careers, so I do understand missing holidays. He use to work every black Friday and had to be in to work at midnight on Thanksgiving. He will still probably work black Friday as he is in health care now.

 

[tcherjen]

I didn't expects this to be a black Friday bashing thread. OP you should change the title.

I didn't expect anyone to bash it... I guess it is a hot topic for a lot of people. I posted on the budget board so I could get some ideas on the rumors of the black Friday ads. I do feel for the people that are working on the holidays, I myself go out of my way to be extra nice and show that I am appreciative of what they are doing. Black Friday has been around for a long time, while I do not agree with things being open on Thanksgiving that seems to be the way it is going now. I do not shop on Thanksgiving. I am sorry for those that have love ones that are working and ones themselves that are working.

I hope everyone will feel comfortable just reporting sales going on...

 

[si-am]

I liked last year's 8pm openings. It was perfect. 6pm seems a little early, it's encroaching onto dinner time. I hated, hated the midnight openings from a few years ago though! I'd rather get up at 4am than try to stay up that late for shopping!