Article: Black Friday Is Dying, And That's A Good Thing

[LSchrow]

I don't view retail employees any differently than WDW CM's, gas station cletks, movie theater employees etc.. all of those are for enjoyment purposes and open and never until the stores started opening so people could shop that people took notice. It is no less selfish to go to MK than run to target on Thanksgiving. ....Very few work from 10 am to 10 pm in retail so you either have the opportunity to have a lunch or late dinner. You know this when you take a job in retail and have to adjust accordingly just like police officers, gas station employees and cm's. .

actually, most retailers have recently expanded their hours into Thanksgiving, without closing for 28+ hours.
comparing entertainment venues & necessary services (which just about all compensate with holiday premium pay - whereas, the majority of retail does not) to frenzied shopping is a bit odd........nor does pretending the man-made chaos doesn't exist make it go away i certainly haven't heard of people fist-fighting over the last popcorn at a movie theater, nor anyone getting trampled while waiting for gas on Thanksgiving/BF.

When I was a teenager I worked retail as well and would have rather been working Thanksgiving with my friends than having dinner at my grandma's lol.

sad


generally in the USA, there are just three holidays a year traditionally spent with family/loved ones - that is less than .08% of our lives.

it's disheartening that a truly wonderful, traditional holiday, with the opportunity to create new cherished memories, has evolved into this crazed shopping frenzy (pretty much epitomizing what many foreigners think of Americans).
we are so incredibly fortunate to live in a country with so much individual freedom & choice - hopefully all remember to say Thanks before yelling "mine...mine.....mine"

have a very happy & healthy Thanksgiving, everyone!!

 

[nugov2]

actually, most retailers have recently expanded their hours into Thanksgiving, without closing for 28+ hours.
comparing entertainment venues & necessary services (which just about all compensate with holiday premium pay - whereas, the majority of retail does not) to frenzied shopping is a bit odd........nor does pretending the man-made chaos doesn't exist make it go away i certainly haven't heard of people fist-fighting over the last popcorn at a movie theater, nor anyone getting trampled while waiting for gas on Thanksgiving/BF.



sad


generally in the USA, there are just three holidays a year traditionally spent with family/loved ones - that is less than .08% of our lives.

it's disheartening that a truly wonderful, traditional holiday, with the opportunity to create new cherished memories, has evolved into this crazed shopping frenzy (pretty much epitomizing what many foreigners think of Americans).
we are so incredibly fortunate to live in a country with so much individual freedom & choice - hopefully all remember to say Thanks before yelling "mine...mine.....mine"

have a very happy & healthy Thanksgiving, everyone!!

Lol, why is shopping different than entertainment industry? They are both entertaining. Thats the oddest justification I've ever heard. So if news stories ceased of the few oddballs fighting or acting ridiculous it would be ok to shop on thanksgiving? I shop because I enjoy it. Some don't like it and some don't like movies. Why is all of the shopping done on thanksgiving and bf frenzied? I have shopped every year for 11 years and it isn't frenzied people ripping things from hands and racing through the stores. That's the media's portrayal and probably occurs in only a small number of stores. I go Thursday night and hardly wait in line. Since stores open earlier and earlier it actually spreads out the shoppers more and online also keeps more at home.

What does a store being open 28 hours have to do with anything? No one employee works that long so the long hours don't mean they won't see family on thanksgiving.

What I find truly sad is that people need a holiday to be with family or won't spend time with them otherwise. We see my family, including extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins ) on holidays, birthdays and even mothers day father's day for family bbqs. We get together with immediate family weekly. I guess that's the difference for me, being with my loved ones and spending quality time isn't dictated by the date on the calendar or isn't something I feel obligated to do. It is just a part of who we are and our philosophy as a family. It was that way when we all grew up and have continued to enjoy this time together. We go to each others kids games, band concerts and plays whenever we can, we plan outings and even vacation in groups together.

I think it is sad you can't see beyond a stereotype that the people out are greedy shoppers, when very few actually behave in that way(and I have heard and seen my fair share of people fighting in movie theaters...shut off the cell phone, stop talking on the phone, sit down etc. It happens too).

 

[lustergirl]

Black Friday was fun decades ago. Stores opened at maybe 7am at the earliest. It was fun to feel the hustle and bustle and start Christmas shopping. Go out to lunch with family or friends. But then stores opened earlier, deals became more cut throat and people became nastier. Lines got ridiculous. I used to like to go out and feel the holiday spirit, but again that was quite a few decades ago. Can't really feel the holiday spirit on Black Friday so I stopped going years ago. I can't think of anything I need/want bad enough to wait in a line for an hour to buy.

I think the crowds and how people act have killed the fun of Black Friday.

 

[Dakota731]

Couldn't agree more. When I was in the restaurant business I knew I would be working Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day etc. I knew that going in and never blamed the customers because I had to work.

Agreed!
My daughter who is a ER physician doesn't like working holidays either but has to go in due to cousin Johnny falling off the scooter he got for Christmas or Uncle Ted who crashed driving home drunk from Thanksgiving dinner. However she knew when she took the job that holidays and weekends would be involved. The SAME for retail employees -you knew when you took the job you wouldn't be working Mon-Fri 9-5.

[QUOTEand what of the salespeople who didn't get to "spend quality time" with their families?][/QUOTE]

Who says they have to spend time on a day marked on the calendar? Maybe they do their dinner the Saturday before Thanksgiving. And nobody ever talks about the grocery clerks who have to work because you forget the Cool Whip for your Thanksgiving dinner or how about convenience store clerks whose stores are open 365 days a year so you can get gas and your cappuccino before heading to Grandma's house?

 

[tvguy]

actually, most retailers have recently expanded their hours into Thanksgiving, without closing for 28+ hours.

One electronics chain is opening at 6 tonight and open until midnight tonight with their "deals".
Black Friday isn't going away, even if sales are down. We did a post Christmas story with a local Best Buy, and Thanksgiving night was their highest dollar sales day of the year. No smart business is going to decide to close on their best sales day.

I would avoid with flat screen TV's that are black Friday special. Target has a million of their black Friday TV's made. They don't have as many jacks are the normal TVs have, and they have a 30 day warranty. When they are gone, they will never have more. They aren't necessarily loss leaders, they just are cheap TVs.

 

[Shelley Chiarats]

I think those people who constantly insist that Thanksgiving is for Family and the only way you should spend that day is with Family think that everybody's family is either just like theirs or like their idealized version of family. There are many more people out there who don't have the idealized large family gatherings. There are single folk who don't have families. There are small families who already spend enough time together not on a specific day. I think that there is nothing wrong with retail being open. There are already tons of folks who can't be home all day on Thanksgiving for other reasons and they make alternative plans.

I would like to travel on Christmas Day but have found that unless you have a spare gas tank that can be dangerous as even minimarts open are few and far between.

 

[pigletliz]

I went shopping today and had a great time. I didn't go at the crack of dawn, but found ample parking and a good selection of the items I was looking for. There were lines to get into many of the bigger name shops, but they all moved quickly. Did the family thing yesterday and spent time on the phone today sharing deals via the phone. (And making sure we weren't buying duplicate gifts.) Both shoppers and sales persons were very pleasant. Might have been different if I was doing the Best Buy/Target/Sears thing, but not my focus this year.

 

[kirstenb1]

I hate BF and won't do it. But dh went to Target this morning and said it was slightly busier than a typical Saturday, so in short, not busy. So around here, maybe it is dying off.

 

[nugov2]

I went out at 6pm yesterday. I hit Justice, Dicks, Target, Michaels and Ulta. I was done in 2 1/2 hours and never waited in line. Nobody was in a frenzy or acting crazy. I think that being open longer is actually better for cutting down on the crowds. Just as many people shopping, but everyone coming in a different times. At 7:30 when I was at target every door buster was still available. I also think that online makes a difference. I did the majority of my shopping online, but there were certain things I needed in store. Especially at Dicks. They always take the coupons off of UA and Nike in store even sale stuff, but online never does.

 

[Dakota731]

My daughter and I went out Friday and had a great time. Walmart was actually pretty empty at 8 a.m. In fact it was more crowded the Saturday before Thanksgiving! Target and Kohls were not nearly as crowded as last year and everyone was friendly and no pushing or shoving as hyped by the media. We were speaking to our cashier at Kohls and she said they get holiday pay and she was enjoying the excitement of the day. So I'll definitely go again next year!

 

[crisi]

I think those people who constantly insist that Thanksgiving is for Family and the only way you should spend that day is with Family think that everybody's family is either just like theirs or like their idealized version of family. There are many more people out there who don't have the idealized large family gatherings. There are single folk who don't have families. There are small families who already spend enough time together not on a specific day. I think that there is nothing wrong with retail being open. There are already tons of folks who can't be home all day on Thanksgiving for other reasons and they make alternative plans.

I would like to travel on Christmas Day but have found that unless you have a spare gas tank that can be dangerous as even minimarts open are few and far between.

I think that people who say its for family believe that people who do have families they want to spend time with should get that opportunity - unless their job is essential. I have a lot of medical professionals in my family - Christmas in January isn't unusual. But they work in hospitals, and hospitals don't close. If you don't want to, or can't, spend time with family or friends - its a nice decompression day.

This Thanksgiving was bittersweet as all my kid's grandparents are now in their 70s and they were all here. But my kids are teenagers. There are only a few years where they will continue to be home - my daughter intends to go away for college and won't be home for Thanksgiving, my son is likely to stick around, but with girlfriends families and friends to hang out with, he might think his parents and grandparents aren't the priority until its too late for his grandparents. It would have been a shame to have lost the few remaining holidays with their grandparents because they had to work - and for teenagers working retail, they usually aren't given a choice - its work or don't hold the job.

My experience working retail is dated, but we didn't have a choice about working Black Friday. If you wanted hours in the future, you worked Black Friday or you might as well resign. It wasn't a matter of not having a problem finding people, every hand was on deck for at least an eight hour day, and you might be asked to come in early or stay late, so don't make plans.

 

[Dakota731]

, has evolved into this crazed shopping frenzy (pretty much epitomizing what many foreigners think of Americans).
we are so incredibly fortunate to live in a country with so much individual freedom & choice - hopefully all remember to say Thanks before yelling "mine...mine.....mine

I guess it all depends on your outlook on life. My perception is so much different - I find this country to be the most generous in the world. Our neighbor recently had a fire and to see the community rally around the family and put links on face book collecting donations, it was overwhelming and they were deeply touched. And our church (like most I'm sure) collects toys for foster children every year and the turnout is always amazing. The same with our school where we collect food for our local food bank and the amount we amassed was unbelievable as it is every year. And our local radio station recently had a day of giving where the community raised $5 million dollars in one day just from individuals and we are a small middle-class town in the middle of nowhere!
I didn't see anyone yesterday with a mine...mine....mine mentality. In fact just the opposite. People were laughing having a good time and sharing their stories of bargains to be had (or not). I think a few rare incidents get played on network news over and over and people start to believe the hype. Uplifting happy stories don't get big ratings!

 

[Dakota731]

Two of my teen-aged nieces work at convenience stores and always have to work Thanksgiving and Christmas so we just plan around them. One year they worked 6 am - 2 pm so we had dinner at 4. This year they worked the night shift so we did an early 2 pm dinner. We had a great meal, played a few board games and enjoyed each other's company. With a little adjustment it's no different than planning every day dinners at our house with the kids involved in all kinds of sports and activities. I admire their work ethic, and with a flexible attitude it's not that complicated and is well worth the effort.

 

[froggibabey]

I agree that Black Friday was more fun when everything opened early Friday morning, and not Thanksgiving night.. however, it's tradition that my MiL watched all the grandkids overnight after dinner, and my sister in law and I go shopping. We have dinner, play games.. and then we make our game plan and head to the stores, giggling and chatting and dancing all the way, and it's still a lot of fun!

And whenever we go, we talk to the people working and apologize for being pains (if we are, somewhat.. or if we're lost, which happens a lot ), and compliment them if they're upbeat or whatever.. which they normally are. A lot of them tell us their stories and such, and it's interesting to hear.

(And I too hate the "but why should they have to work?" speech. No one cares that movie theater employees have to work, or gas station, or RESTAURANT workers. You'd be surprised how many people go out to eat their Thanksgiving/Christmas/Easter meals, and no one ever complains about the chefs/servers/bus people. I don't know why retail workers get all the love?

 

[eliza61]

actually, most retailers have recently expanded their hours into Thanksgiving, without closing for 28+ hours.
comparing entertainment venues & necessary services (which just about all compensate with holiday premium pay - whereas, the majority of retail does not) to frenzied shopping is a bit odd........nor does pretending the man-made chaos doesn't exist make it go away i certainly haven't heard of people fist-fighting over the last popcorn at a movie theater, nor anyone getting trampled while waiting for gas on Thanksgiving/BF.



sad


generally in the USA, there are just three holidays a year traditionally spent with family/loved ones - that is less than .08% of our lives.

it's disheartening that a truly wonderful, traditional holiday, with the opportunity to create new cherished memories, has evolved into this crazed shopping frenzy (pretty much epitomizing what many foreigners think of Americans).
we are so incredibly fortunate to live in a country with so much individual freedom & choice - hopefully all remember to say Thanks before yelling "mine...mine.....mine"

have a very happy & healthy Thanksgiving, everyone!!

LOL Happily LSchrow, I really believe it's another "Dis" phenomenon. It seems that almost everyone here "hates" their family especially inlaws. Have you ever read some of the threads on weddings and holiday dinners. LOL, Basically they run like this, "my parents insist we come to dinner and my mother is the anit-christ who mistreated me" or some variations. Did anyone have a happy childhood? you would never guess.

My family just celebrated the 100th birthday of my Aunt (my dad's oldest sister), a big family blowout. Yes, I made my 22 and 24 year old attend. I have absolutely no problems with that. With all the blessings they have from their family I really can't understand how being together for, what 1 night is so stressful.

and nope, we don't do shopping on thanksgiving. it's family time.


lol, I'm watching the Rick Steve's "European Holiday" special. it's showing holiday traditions around Europe, lol I wonder what they would show if they showcased an American holiday special. Throw down at the Walmart on Thanksgiving day for the 55 inch tv