Wow, Target is closed today

[jrmasm]

Wow! Brownie Points for Target!

As an employee/hourly supervisor in a large retailer, I had to request to have the day off. Luckily, we have supervisors & associates who were willing to work so I did not have to.

I spent the day going to church, brunch & spending time with my family.

Can't speak for Target but honestly what I know from sales in the company I work for, I'm not sure Target necessary did it to be nice & respectful or if they did it because sales are so slow.

So retail workers deserve the day off but not waitresses and cooks?

I see that frequently when this topic comes up and I find it very confusing.

 

[joviroxx]

My post had nothing to do with the religious aspect of the conversations. It had to do with the lack of concern for others for their own amusement. It isn't just the religious based holidays that are involved but ALL holidays. It rains on Labor Day so idiots head to the mall. If people weren't so dang self involved they wouldn't want malls open so others can enjoy the holiday too. Malls wouldn't even consider opening if idiots weren't flocking to them. Nope they are off so everything they want to do should be available for them to do. So why not even the playing field and make everything available to all 365 day and night?

If you are really opposed to government dictating when a business can be open you should be concerned about car dealerships. I don't know if it is a federal or a state law but in my state, and probably others, car dealerships are closed on Sundays by law.

I know K Mart has been open on Thanksgiving for a number of years. K Mart was originally the exception in the industry not the norm. I never shopped them to begin with so I didn't have a need to stop shopping their stores. It was the bottom feeders of the retail industry, like K Mart, that started the holiday openings. Most of them sell cheap junk at inflated prices and then have BIG sales on their cheap junk to give consumers the illusion that they are getting a great deal.


You call my response dramatic I call it equal opportunity for all. If some have the convenience of the goods and services they want 365 days a year why can't everyone have the same convenience for their desired goods or services? Teenagers function better later in the day and into the night time hours. So why shouldn't high schools be open in the evenings? Just think of how much more convenient it would be for some parents to have their teens in school from 3-9pm!

dsny1mom

I was going to respond to your actual comment but then thought, naw, this can't be serious .....I bolded some of my favorite parts.

 

[sam_gordon]

I am not distinguishing between government and private industry I am saying open them all regardless if public or private. Why not?

If a mall is open for people's convenience then why shouldn't everything be open? If I want to get my drivers license renewed on a Sunday or on Memorial Day why shouldn't I be able to. I can buy a pair of pants on that day and that certainly isn't as important to me as getting my license renewed. No one should tell me I can't do what I want to do on my time off by not being open for my convenience, right?

I am speaking with my wallet and I no longer shop at Walmart, Old Navy, Ulta and a host of other retailers that continue to push the industry in a direction that I do not agree with. The company I work for protects their people the best they can. If it isn't written into our lease we do NOT open on holidays even if the mall is open. We value our employees. Gasp! We even have stores that are closed on Sundays! Oh the evil things we do to the public by denying some to shop our stores on a Sunday. Shame on us. LOL

TV crews, radio people, hotel worker, etc. went into their chosen industries knowing holidays are part of the work schedules. Retail workers did not. This whole opening on Thanksgiving day and Easter Sunday is somewhat new to the mainstream of retail.

If it's good for the goose then it is good for the gander. Open the malls, and the schools and everything else 365 and then you'd be a happy camper, right?

dsny1mom

I think you're missing the point. No one is saying stores MUST (or even SHOULD) be open 24/7/365. In fact, a number of posters have said it should be up to the stores when to be open/closed. But many posters HAVE said they're glad stores were closed and wish more stores were closed.

Well, why not argue that businesses can close any day they want? Why not argue that stores should be closed Saturday (Jewish Sabbath) or Monday (everyone is working anyway)?

And your argument about workers knowing they have to work holidays doesn't fly with me either. Sure, maybe someone took a retail job because they knew they'd have Thanksgiving off and they wouldn't have taken the job if they knew they had to work Thanksgiving. Guess what, they still have an option... look for another job. If having Thanksgiving off is that important, leave the job that requires you to work it.

 

[Mkrop]

Was that in America?? I only recall Sunday's being a day stores were closed. I'm only speaking on behalf of America. I don't know how other countries work.

Really than you must not know a lot of people of Jewish faith, the stores in those neighborhoods close down for the Sabbath.

To all the people who are saying that stores should be closed for all religions' special days if they are going to be closed for the Christian religious days. . .

Part of the beauty of our country is freedom of religion, and not freedom from religion. Whoever has the power within a company (e.g. owners, managers) can close on whatever days they want, as long as they are complying with the rules required of them by government entities.

A lot of people celebrate Easter in our country. In some ways, it's like Christmas. I bet a lot of people do egg hunts and the Easter bunny thing even though they aren't Christians. It makes sense that some places would be closed. I really wanted some In-N-Out Burger yesterday, but I wasn't annoyed to find them closed. I was happy for the employees that they got the day off. It's not my cross to bear (sorry - it fits!) if they are working someplace that happens to close on a day they would rather work. That was someone's choice when they chose the job. People are allowed to make choices, and we don't have to be offended FOR them.

Several places I'd like to go are closed every weekend just because they want to be closed on the weekends. Doesn't bother me. I don't like to work weekends, either.

If the owners/managers of a place are of a certain religion (be it Christianity, Judaism, Islamic, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu, Scientology, Moonie, or Church of the Poison Mind - you name it), they may choose to close on their special days. But even if they are not of any certain religion, they can still close on whatever days they want. Do I sometimes wish Hobby Lobby or Chick-fil-A were open on Sundays? Yeah. But then I'm glad when I remember that the people who chose to work there get that day off, since they probably sought work there because of what they see as a benefit.

I'm a Christian. But it wouldn't bother me if the powers-that-be at a store wanted to close on other religion's holy days. I'd just make do. I am much more bothered when stores show greed, such as I felt they were doing last year with opening early for Black Friday (or is it now Black Thursday??). Thanksgiving is everyone's holiday. Everyone can be thankful, whether it's to God or to other human beings.

The things we find to complain about. . . And I don't exclude myself. I complain too much, too. We have it great in this country.

I don't hear much of anyone complaining that Target (or any other store) was closed, it's that group of people who seem to think that because THEY celebrate a particular holiday, that no store should be allowed to be open. Or because they go to church on Sunday, no one else should be allowed to shop.

Every business owner should have the right to decide for themselves, without government interference, what days they will operate their business. That includes holidays. If you feel that strongly that no place of business should be open on a particular day, don't shop. If enough people feel that way, the businesses will close because they won't be making money.

I was going to respond to Krista but I think this covers it

Wow! Brownie Points for Target!

As an employee/hourly supervisor in a large retailer, I had to request to have the day off. Luckily, we have supervisors & associates who were willing to work so I did not have to.

I spent the day going to church, brunch & spending time with my family.

Can't speak for Target but honestly what I know from sales in the company I work for, I'm not sure Target necessary did it to be nice & respectful or if they did it because sales are so slow.

Did you eat out? If so I say that is quite hypocritical to the servers and cooks. If not, then never mind.

Are you comparing private enterprise to Government agencies? One is privately run, with private money, the other is a public entity run on tax dollars. A private company has the right to open and close as they see fit, Governments do not....

Now, I am a practicing Catholic and very politically conservative. I go to Mass every Sunday and observe all my Holy Days of Obligation. That said, I believe that its simple, if you don't like the way a company is run, don't support it, don't work there, don't shop from there. But we live in the most amazing country in the world where freedoms are fought for everyday. The idea that anyone can tell me not to open on a Sunday if I see fit, is ridiculous.Stay home, enjoy with your family, ask for your days off, put yourself in positions where it won't be an issue, plan family time on different days, no one is stopping you. But be disgusted because someone chooses to make money? Or better yet, wants to work these shifts to make more money...? Freedom of choice is a wonderful thing.

And by the way, when you are enjoying your family day, make sure you don't watch tv, listen to a radio, catch a football game on Thanksgiving.... Why should those people work for your enjoyment?

I could have written this post exactly, even down to being Catholic. It is great if a store wants to close, it is also fine if it wants to be open. The PRIVATE business should decide, not the govt. But what always gets me about this posts is that people only care about the retail workers, but never about the servers and cooks, never about the toll takers, never about the TV personnel, never about the convience store or gas station workers. What about the hotel workers for those out of town guests that come for Easter dinner....

And ya know what for some families, if you have a family member in healthcare but others who are not, than having Easter or any other day as "family" day is pretty meaningless for them, but for YOU (general) it is a must...that I dont get.

If a store is open and I have a need, than great, thanks to Acme for being open so I could run and get some things that we forgot for dinner, thanks to the CVS that was open the one time my kid was sick on Christmas, thanks to Kmart for being open on Thanksgiving so I could run and get a coffee maker for my mom who had a house full of people etc. Thanks to the AAA tow truck operator who fixed our flat one year driving home 2 hours away when visiting DH's family.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

Can I ask 'Why'?

Because Easter is the holiest time of the year for Christians.

Funny, I work in Manhatten and grew up in New York. The stores are closed for days in a row routinely for Jewish holidays.
Yet, that's acceptable?

Christians have 2 days(should be 3 with Good Friday) that we cekebrate yet people have a problem with it.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Well, why not argue that businesses can close any day they want? Why not argue that stores should be closed Saturday (Jewish Sabbath) or Monday (everyone is working anyway)?

That's fine for bricks & mortar businesses, but DON'T take away my Cyber Monday!!
Seriously, speaking of that - the posters who praise Target and think more businesses should be closed on what is solely a religious holiday didn't seem to have any objection to using the Internet on Easter. Do they think it runs itself?

 

[Mkrop]

[Because Easter is the holiest time of the year for Christians.

Funny, I work near diamond district inMidtown Manhatten. The stores are closed for days in a row routinely for Jewish holidays.

Christians have 2 days(should be 3 with Good Friday) that we cekebrate yet people have a problem with it.

No one has a problem with it...if you are the business owner like those diamond people and they want to close than close, if you own a store and are a Christian than close on Easter, Christmas and Good Friday, it is the business owners call. Or even if it is from a purely financial standpoint, if not enough people are going to be out buying diamonds, Xboxes, or other items than close for the day.

Did you step outside of your home on any of these Christian holidays or turn on the TV...than you too forced someone to be at their job on a holiday.

As I said above, I am Catholic so Easter is pretty important to me, but I dont think my holiday should be considered more important than anyone else's, and there are people working that day in many places, why should retail workers not have to work if the company sees good reasong to be open. If you worked at a rest stop on the turnpike, you will be working and no one blinks an eye, but the person who works retail somewhere else we all feel sorry for...why?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Because Easter is the holiest time of the year for Christians.

Funny, I work in Manhatten and grew up in New York. The stores are closed for days in a row routinely for Jewish holidays.
Yet, that's acceptable?

Christians have 2 days(should be 3 with Good Friday) that we cekebrate yet people have a problem with it.

Nobody has a problem with stores closing any day or days they choose. Many of us have issues with the attitude that more/all stores should be closed on religious yet non-legal holidays - especially when so many are open on most legal holidays.

I'm sure owners of the stores in the Diamond District aren't demanding or expecting that all stores in the area - or the city - be closed.

 

[jrmasm]

Nobody has a problem with stores closing any day or days they choose. Many of us have issues with the attitude that more/all stores should be closed on religious yet non-legal holidays - especially when so many are open on most legal holidays.

I'm sure owners of the stores in the Diamond District aren't demanding or expecting that all stores in the area - or the city - be closed.

This!

 

[skater]

Guess what, they still have an option... look for another job. If having Thanksgiving off is that important, leave the job that requires you to work it.

Unfortunately, its not always that easy, and it gets more difficult as more stores elect to be open on Thanksgiving.

 

[ManyMinnie]

Because Easter is the holiest time of the year for Christians.

Funny, I work in Manhatten and grew up in New York. The stores are closed for days in a row routinely for Jewish holidays.
Yet, that's acceptable?

Christians have 2 days(should be 3 with Good Friday) that we cekebrate yet people have a problem with it.

What people have a problem with is the attitude that because it is your (general your) religious holiday, the world should stop, but other religions don't deserve the same respect.

 

[skater]

So retail workers deserve the day off but not waitresses and cooks?

I see that frequently when this topic comes up and I find it very confusing.

I bet the poster wouldn't be that upset if the restaurants were closed as well.

 

[skater]

What people have a problem with is the attitude that because it is your (general your) religious holiday, the world should stop, but other religions don't deserve the same respect.

I just don't see that attitude here. I feel like I'm missing something.

 

[Mkrop]

I bet the poster wouldn't be that upset if the restaurants were closed as well.

But the point is she/he MAY (or may not we dont know if they went out for brunch or made it themselves) have utilized that service BECAUSE it was open, just as someone else MAY have utilized the services of Target if they had been open.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

Sorry, if a store wants to close on ANY day that's their business.
Their were many business that were open but they didn't get grief for doing so.


Up unitill the 70's everything was closed on Sundays

 

[jrmasm]

I bet the poster wouldn't be that upset if the restaurants were closed as well.

There are complaints about stores being open. Why no complaints about restaurants being open?

 

[skater]

Nobody has a problem with stores closing any day or days they choose. Many of us have issues with the attitude that more/all stores should be closed on religious yet non-legal holidays - especially when so many are open on most legal holidays.

I'm sure owners of the stores in the Diamond District aren't demanding or expecting that all stores in the area - or the city - be closed.

I'm just speaking for myself of course. I don't demand that businesses be closed - I'm all for the free market system, and I like it that businesses can make those decisions. But I also like it that some stores decided to close. Not to hurt anybody or cause inconvenience. (Though we all used to survive without most stores on holidays) Its really just empathy for workers and their families. Its that simple.

 

[Mkrop]

Sorry, if a store wants to close on ANY day that's their business.
Their were many business that were open but they didn't get grief for doing so.


Up unitill the 70's everything was closed on Sundays

There are many things in America that have changed since the 70s....

I'm just speaking for myself of course. I don't demand that businesses be closed - I'm all for the free market system, and I like it that businesses can make those decisions. But I also like it that some stores decided to close. Not to hurt anybody or cause inconvenience. (Though we all used to survive without most stores on holidays) Its really just empathy for workers and their families. Its that simple.

I think that is what most are saying, if a place is closed than fine. If a place is open and I have a need to go there for whatever reason, than great. Let the businesses chose! What I dont get is the lack of empathy for all the other people that work on these holidays like the TV personnel or the retail worker on the turnpike, but we MUST have empathy for that poor person who had to work somewhere else like Walmart etc. No one has empathy for the person working at CVS it seems, like the pharmacist and the cashier.

 

[skater]

There are complaints about stores being open. Why no complaints about restaurants being open?

I really can only speak for myself. I would feel the same about restaurants. I'm not complaining about any of them though.

 

[skater]

There are many things in America that have changed since the 70s....



I think that is what most are saying, if a place is closed than fine. If a place is open and I have a need to go there for whatever reason, than great. Let the businesses chose! What I dont get is the lack of empathy for all the other people that work on these holidays like the TV personnel or the retail worker on the turnpike, but we MUST have empathy for that poor person who had to work somewhere else like Walmart etc. No one has empathy for the person working at CVS it seems, like the pharmacist and the cashier.

I guess we all struggle against some kind of hypocrisy . I have lots of faults, but one of my better traits is loads of empathy. So, I do care about anyone that has to work who would rather be with their families on a holiday that's important to them. Some people are in positions that must work on holidays - pharmacists, doctors, police, etc. Of course, they are compensated for their time a lot more than a WalMart or Target employee. I can still feel bad for them that they're not with their families, but at least they're doing something that is worth doing on a holiday and they're being paid a reasonable wage for it.