Black Friday to Gray Thursday? Thoughts on Walmart/Target/others working Thanksgiving

[BatmanVSuperman]

Are any of you in retail or have family or friends working in retail? I find it messed up that there are more and more retail stores moving from Black Friday to actually opening stores on Thanksgiving. Why not let them have their day off with the family? The season itself is such a grind for retail workers as it is.

I mean, wouldn't people still show up if you just made the sale on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday? Yikes!

 

[Brother Jack]

Absolute garbage, the whole thing. Nobody should go shopping on Thanksgiving.

 

[Superwoman Prime]

As long as it isn't Christmas... I don't care.

 

[KevanG]

I don't see the point besides taking advantage of peoples greed. I have stopped by the huge sales a few times after they opened but I never really bought much. Maybe a game or something but never going to buy tvs or spend thousands on stuff.

 

[Slushy]

Because corporate higher ups are heartless d*cks. Wal-Mart for example.

 

[Lantern Venom]

Initially, I chalked it up to the still-struggling economy. I thought retailers were doing what was necessary.

However, this article suggests that the Thanksgiving openings and overnight hours last year had only meager effects on physical sales. The gains came, not surprisingly, online. I don't see the logic in extending hours and intruding on employees lives (unless they volunteer) for such a slim bump in foot traffic.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-...affic-seen-thinning-as-stores-open-early.html

 

[Spider-Fan83]

I usually work Thanksgiving, its not really a big deal, for me

 

[SuperFerret]

Thanksgiving's a pretty unimportant holiday anyway.

 

[MadVillainy]

I only went Black Friday shopping once. But I dont see why other people give a sh** that other people want to shop on Thanksgiving. I think when people get violent during sales, but the actual act of going out to shop, if that's what someone wants someone wants to do what's the big deal.

The defense I always hear is: "It's supposed to be about your family."
I always think 1) What if they go out as their family 2) What if they don't have a family or 3) Why do you only need one day to celebrate your family

It's probably just me but the complaining about Black Friday is worse than actual Black Friday to me.


That being said, with online shopping and Cyber Monday, I don't see the point in lining up anymore

 

[Duke]

I don't mind at all.

 

[The Question]

Businesses shouldn't be open on Thanksgiving except for maybe grocery stores. And that's a big maybe.

Also, Black Friday should not be allowed to be a thing. Neither should Wal-Mart.

 

[MadVillainy]

Businesses shouldn't be open on Thanksgiving except for maybe grocery stores. And that's a big maybe.

Also, Black Friday should not be allowed to be a thing. Neither should Wal-Mart.

Why.

As long as they can curb the violence of it then I dont see a problem

 

[DeadPresident]

Unhealthily compulsive consumer behaviour where people buy **** they don't actually need but only because it's at a fraction of its original (inflated) cost?

 

[The Question]

Why.

As long as they can curb the violence of it then I dont see a problem

Black Friday should not be allowed to be a thing because:

1: They shouldn't have to curb the violence in the first place.

2: It encourages consumerism and corporate dependence, which is bad for the economy and for our culture in general.

3: It takes money away from the local economy and small local businesses, which is bad for the economy and contributes to increasing the wealth gap.

4: Black friday is not necessary and doesn't really help anyone except the people who own these companies, so there's no good counter-argument to the above points.


Wal-Mart should not be allowed because they force local stores out of business and make entire communities economically dependent on them while creating jobs that pay far less than a living wage and force people bellow the poverty line and hinder any attempt to combat this by viscously squashing any and all attempts at unionization. Wal-Mart ruins the communities it sets up shop in.

 

[the_ultimate_evil]

its gonna happen, i'm 32 and i remember shops closing on xmas eve and not opening to a day or two after boxing day

now the town i work in, opens to 9pm on xmas eve(shops get individual choice) and open again at 8am on boxing day, and there as been talks of some of the bigger firms wanting to do a 9am-1pm on xmas day

holidays do not matter anymore and firms know it, you dont wanna work when we tell you then there is plenty who would happily do your job for you

 

[Hobgoblin]

I have worked retail for nearly a decade and have always worked Thanksgiving. Granted its a short day but still pointless as there are very few customers there.

 

[SuperFerret]

The issue there is that those days, holidays and Sundays and other various "everything's closed" days, were generally a big ol' waste after the general attraction of those days are done. After unwrapping your Christmas gifts, or even just going to Sunday Mass, there's nothing to do for the rest of the day because nothing was open. The world has, more and more, begun to realize both that fact and the fact that not everyone is going to celebrate or recognize those days and that the world should not stop because some people want to.

 

[Feenix]

I remember reading somewhere that the US has the least amount of federally mandated holidays (for some reason, I was thinking it was 0) and also the least amount of vacation days from employers.

I think that is pretty disgusting.

 

[Victarion]

Also, Black Friday should not be allowed to be a thing.

I make too much bank off my bloodsport, thank you very much.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Right now I work at a very popular mall here in FL. I have never done anything for Black Friday. I am told to expect craziness. The mall is opening at 6pm on Thanksgiving and stores will have the option to close from midnight to 6am on Black Friday and then everyone is expected to be open from 6am-9pm on Black Friday. Seeing as how I make 5% commission I welcome tons of idiots with money burning a hole in their pocket. I don't know about anyone else's family but we always do an early dinner around 2 or 3 and then everyone chills. Only reason I love Thanksgiving is becasue the food rocks and it's just days away from my birthday. So if I can eat dope food and then make a bunch of money hell yeah I'm all for it. I do understand that it sucks for people who get paid a flat $8 an hour to deal with all that insanity though

 

[Teelie]

I remember reading somewhere that the US has the least amount of federally mandated holidays (for some reason, I was thinking it was 0) and also the least amount of vacation days from employers.

I think that is pretty disgusting.

There are a number of federally mandated holidays but those primarily only affect government and financial instuitions. Everyone else is seemingly free to do as they please. The lack of minimum or even required vacation days is however a sad reality. There is no law or requirement to even give employees any vacation time at all.

Holiday working is usually "voluntary" in that if you don't volunteer you're likely going to get looked down on by your employer for it so that can be bad for your advancement, depending on who you work for.

 

[Schlosser85]

Personally I don't think anyone should have to work Thanksgiving or Christmas. Let people spend 2 days of the freaking year with their families, you can hawk your tacky overpriced wares 24/7 the rest of the 363 days of the year.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Thanksgiving's a pretty unimportant holiday anyway.

Not if you have family (that you like) that you only get to spend time with once a year. Or if you bust your ass all year and have precious few days off as it is.

 

[BatmanVSuperman]

Not if you have family (that you like) that you only get to spend time with once a year. Or if you bust your ass all year and have precious few days off as it is.

Very true.

 

[PyroChamber]

At my job they have a holiday sign up sheet where you sign up for which holiday you want to work, and everyone has to pick.

And I never pick thanksgiving or christmas, I don't get holiday pay for those days but who cares? New Years Day, on the other hand, I could give two ****s about.