Stores opening up early on Thanksgiving Day/night. Is this an alternative?

I think so many consumers are so foolish they will patronize these stores and they will make enough profit to justify opening up on Thanksgiving evenings for years to come.
There is no bargain out there that would drag me out that entire weekend. My SIL works retail and has yet to be home on a Thanksgiving weekend in years.

I’m not sure what you mean by “alternative”. The stores like the way Black Thursday plays out – so they’re trying to make it longer.

Or do you mean that not going is an alternative? A lot of people (including myself) already don’t participate in this nightmare. But clearly way too many people do want to be a part of it.

Does Black Thursday remind anyone else of the film They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?

Have you seen how people act during black Friday? There is no way you can stop these people from storming the stores.

A fool and his money are soon parted. America is rife with them.

The sad thing is that the stores don’t actually put out their best sales of the year until the week before Christmas. They drag everyone and their mother into the store for a $3 fondue pot and full-price electronics.

People are idiots.

There is a campaign to boycott this. There ARE things more important than money and 2 days a year to allow the lowest paid employees in the nation to spend time with their families is not that much to ask.
I won’t be doing ANY shopping that day to support the people who would rather be home with their loved ones.

I have never participated in this mania. I don’t like crowds of people they put me on edge.

And it seems so contradictory to the purported meaning of thanksgiving it sort of sours me to the idea without the crowds.

I have been saying for a few years now the employess should simply refuse to do it. I hope people boycott. Last year many of the stores opened midnight Black Friday morning, also know as Midnight Thanksgiving eve. It is abusive in my opinion to ask people who never work that shift to work it. It’s dangerous, they coud easily fall asleep at the wheel while driving to or from work, and it lowers their immunity. Thanksgiving is one of the few American holidays, which means it is for everyone in this country.

I almost prefer they have shortened hours during the day on Thanksgiving if I had choose, rather than overnight hours, but both suck. Some places of course are open, hotels, some restaurants, but not odd hours well outside of the usual scheduled hours of business. Stores that are typically 24 hours I have no problem with them being open.

A Q asking a similar question from last year if you are interested. New jellies are here so I am interested in what people say now.

@Judi There will be managers in the stores too.

I’ll add Thanksgiving is late this year, which probably has retailers a little concerned. Shopping season for Christmas is shorter this year.

I wonder if retail business is a little up right now for Nov.? Chanukah is on Thanksgiving this year, which should shift a little business for certain areas of the country especially children’s gifts. It’s a small percentage, but they look at every point.

Not that I care about any of it, I still don’t think very late or very early hours are ok. There is plenty of time to shop 9:00am to 10:00 pm, which is already extended hurs for most retailers.

The whole point is to get the customer in their store first for the day, it isn’t a matter of not being able to handle the crowds during the day. Maybe we need a blue law prohibiting retailers from opening before 8:00 am or closing after 11:00 pm, except 24 hour stores.

I have been hearing about these boycott threats for a decade. The reality of the situation remains the same—100 inch TV for half the normal price v.s some stranger making minimum wage? Gee, tough decision.

Here’s an article about how Target responded last year to complaints that they were abusing their employees by opening early on Thanksgiving night.

You’re more likely to see even larger sales when there is a threat of a boycott. Just look at what happened with Chick-fil-A and Target during the homosexual controversy. Their sales increased even though there was a threat of a boycott. Look how gun sales soared when there was the threat of stricter regulations.

I will not be shopping on Thanksgiving Day or the Friday after or that weekend.

@glacial That response is crap in my opinion. I’m sure they ask for volunteers, but there is no way in hell they don’t also force people who don’t want to work to work. Last years @auggie’s daughter was forced to work (not at Target) she was 17 and they said she would be fired if she didn’t.

I agree with @Judi 100% and am proud to say I have NEVER, ever, participated in the insanity of these holiday rampages. Bah, fucking wake up and find something better to do with your time and cash. Hey I know, why don;t you make a bunch of Turkey sandwiches and go hand them out to the homeless! Pffft!

@JLeslie Oh agreed – there is a reference in the article to a timetable that shows that they require specific people to work. But the point is, they will not be swayed by public opinion, only their bottom line.

Working retail is literally “all hands on deck” during the holidays. You either work it or go to another line of work. I personally got out of it when I worked retail many years ago and got cussed out on Christmas eve because we had closed the store.

@glacial Or, a walk out. Seriously, what are they going to do if all employees refuse? I am not in favor of just not showing up, or walking out, but I do think employees can take a stand in October saying they won’t be coming if scheduled on Thanksgiving or before 8am on Black Friday. If they band together the retailers will have no choice. I tend to be anti-union, and I am a very loyal employee when I work for a company. I have pushed myself physically and mentally more than I should have for employers, and probably still would to some extent. But, this is just getting ridiculous in my opinion.

Jan 1st is even more ridiculous in that not much business happens, but retailers have officially decided that is not longer a day off. Jan 1st is a day of hangovers not shopping. With people working Thanksgiving that will only leave Christmas Day in America. Already stores are opening on Easter.

I don’t go near any stores on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, or the whole Thanksgiving weekend if I can help it. I feel like no sale is worth that hassle.

Last year my boss told me about the incredible sales she got and how she left the Thanksgiving gathering and hit this store, that store, back to the first store, etc. The stores apparently have different sales in like two hour increments, to get people to keep coming back in. It’s nuts.

@JLeslie Well, I see a handful of people on Fluther, who don’t work at Target, getting upset about it, and I see online petitions being signed, but I don’t think there is a serious movement among Target workers to actually have a walkout. When I Google “petition against b…”, I get more autocomplete options for petitions against Ben Affleck than I do against Black Friday. This tells me that not much is happening.

If they decide to do it, good luck to them. But I think we’d have heard something about it by now.

^why would one petition against Ben Affleck? I am not a big fan but…

I think if the employees threatened to not work on Black Friday, they would just be replaced by people who are willing to work that day, and Thanksgiving. Unfortunately we’re in an economy where there are probably plenty of people who need jobs and would do what it takes to have one, even if that meant sacrificing a holiday with their families.

@Unbroken Apparently people are pissed off that he’s going to be the next Batman.

And I think the whole American consumer culture would have change. We’ll do anything for the cheapest stuff, even if it means sweatshop labor in other countries or weird chicken mush in our chicken nuggets. As the saying goes, nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public. Companies will do anything for an edge, and until it’s no longer profitable, we’ll be stuck with these ridiculous Black Friday sales.

@Unbroken I know, right?

@Haleth Shit, I forgot all about Batman. Now I have to relive the horror of hearing that news for the first time. Excuse me, I need to go sign a petition.

@glacial I haven’t heard if anything of the sort either. Although, I am questioning my memory, because someone recently sent me something about people working crazy Black Friday hours; I don’t remember what it said.

@jca Right. As long as everyone is still supposed to be grateful for any job they can get, the employers can do what they want. Although, they can’t just hire new people with a weeks notice. If the staff said they won’t be coming in at midnight morning of thanksgiving the weekend before, there is no way they could hire and train enough employees to work in the larger stores. The best way would be if the key holders of the store refused. Something drastic and terrible will have to happen I guess. I hope it never happens though.

@JLeslie: If a few employees of each store refused to come in on necessary days, they’d be fired and replacement workers would be brought in from other stores.

I have a feeling the larger stores would close for “renovations” for a couple of days while they brought in a new manager from across town and brought in a whole gamut of new hires. You know the HBIC would be fired.

@jca I agree, it has to be everyone, or almost everyone.

@Seek_Kolinahr Which couple of days? Every day is important right now. In the Bloomingdale’s where I worked a skeleton crew was 80 people. We had over 50 associates just in our cosmetic department. Minimum in there would be 12 people, which still is extremely low.

They wouldn’t need to close for a few days for staffing. They’d just get workers from other stores and spread them out, and hire new ones and throw them out onto the floor.

The assumption is that every employee in the store opted not to come in. In that case, the management staff would be fired. Are you going to staff an entire Bloomingdale’s on 20 minutes’ notice with people who have never seen the inside of the store before?

@jca If there are stores nearby then they would need all area stores to do it. I realize it will probably never happen. Stores like Target and Best Buy can skate by with very little staff on the floor. It isn’t like a large Bloomingdale’s or Macy’s.

We’re talking Bloomies now? I thought we were talking Target.

@jca I brought up Bloomies, because that is where I worked, Macy’s would be similar in staffing, and Macy’s has become out of control with the demands on their employees also regarding working ridiculous hours. IMO. The OP didn’t really specify which stores, the OP just was talking about the extended hours. @glacial brought up the response Target gave last year.

@JLeslie: Oh ok, gotcha.

Bottom line is, in this economy, employees don’t make many demands and get them met. Even with a union in place, it’s a fight, or at least, with a union, there would be concessions on both sides. If you don’t like your work hours or whatever, step aside, there is a line of people who would be happy with your job.

I was just googling and it looks like maybe Macy’s is not opening Midnight Black Friday morning this year. That would be great news. They did it last year. I would love to get the correct info on that. If it is different this year I would be curious to know what the decision was based on. Obviously, bottom line would be the biggest influence, but I would be curious about the actual numbers. The selling done from 12 midnight to 8 in the morning.

@Haleth and @glacial wow who was the dumbo who made that casting call, I love batman how could they pervert his image so much. nerds are nuts off to sign.

I worked at Best Buy on Black Friday a couple years back…never again. They were one of the first stores to open at midnight (lucky me), meaning that I had to come in at 11 PM on Thanksgiving. We were told it was a requirement for every employee in the store to work Black Friday, and that we would be fired if we declined. Nobody was allowed to give preferences for the midnight shift or the 12 PM shift, so it was just the luck of the draw. Keeping in mind that I was a 17-year-old part-time employee- I had to work a 12 hour shift on no sleep, I was only given one break, and I wasn’t paid overtime. My dad had to drop me off and pick me up because I was afraid to drive home. It was the crappiest I’ve ever been treated as an employee.

Oh well, joke’s on them- they made way less money than they had ever made on any Black Friday before. They did so poorly that I’m honestly a little surprised that they’re still in business.

I work at Staples. This is the first year we’re going to be open on Thanksgiving. They’re asking for volunteers to work from 8pm until midnight.
I think 4 people have signed up. Hopefully that will be enough because I’m going to be pissed if I have to work!

What difference does it make that the stores open? There are people who set aside that time to shop. Boycotting stores because you don’t like them being open seems a little out there.

People who work holidays usually get time and a half for doing so. Maybe they need the money.

All I’m saying is, you have one perspective. I personally wouldn’t go anywhere near a store on Thanksgiving or Black Friday. However, all one need do is NOT go to one of those stores.

That solution is easy, and it doesn’t infringe on other people’s priorities.

Often sales people are given no choice but to work. So you would have cancel travel plans or end your thanksgiving dinner with your whole family and run to work? Or more likely you might very well miss the meal – I’ve seen it.

No lounging around with the family or playing with the nieces and nephews or even your own kids – it’s off again to Sears, the store thats falling apart and everyone despises.

Bye Mom so sad I had to miss time with you after we haven’t seen each other since last year.

I was once told I was going to work Christmas day. I needed the job I still said NO; I had kids and family, relatives coming to visit and big meal to cook and gifts to open.

Screw them.

@jca I was reminded by some answers here that in my store everyone worked Black Friday. All managers and all staff, with the only exception being part timers who never worked Fridays. Add in if they make the work day 22–24 hours rather then 12–15, and the staff is thinned out more. So, there really aren’t many employees you can borrow from another store if one store has some sort of walk out.

@JLeslie: I understand. I don’t think we need to continue speculating about it, anyway, because it’s not going to happen. Not likely to happen in this economy. Too many out of work, too many need jobs.