what do you think of BLACK FRIDAY

Discussion in 'General' started by twin_trip_mommy, Nov 14, 2011.

  1. twin_trip_mommy

    twin_trip_mommy Well-Known Member

    I have seen articles and watched NEWS stories on this and so many people are upset with businesses because some are opening ON Thanksgiving Day and others midnight Friday.

    What are your thoughts?

    Do you care that some stores are open ON Thanksgiving Day?

    Does it bug you that some are opening at midnight Friday?

    Will you shop?
     
  2. Trishandthegirls

    Trishandthegirls Well-Known Member

    I think it's silly, silly, silly. Why in the world would a store open at midnight or 3am? The day after Thanksgiving used to be fun - get up, eat breakfast, go shopping. Now people are losing sleep, standing in long lines, and fighting over sales items. It's all too much for me as every store tries to be the first to open or the one with the biggest deals. I plan to sleep in and not think about spending even a penny on Black Friday.
     
    1 person likes this.
  3. Mama_Kim

    Mama_Kim Well-Known Member

    Personally, I find it all a bit ridiculous. But then again, the only way I shop on Black Friday is in my pj's with a cup of coffee at my computer! :rofl:
     
    5 people like this.
  4. threebecamefive

    threebecamefive Well-Known Member

    I hate it. I hate that it forces people to leave their families, on what should be a family day, to work. I hate seeing the ugliness that comes out just to get the good deals. I thought it was crazy when stores opened at 4 or 5; it just gets crazier each year.

    When there is a big ticket item I need/want that will be deeply discounted on Black Friday I will partake in the craziness. The money saved is worth it to me. But I try realllllly hard to be super patient because the workers are at their wits end and not all the customers have the "holiday spirit". Otherwise, I get up when I get up, and shop and enjoy most of the same discounts without the crowds, if I even go out on Black Friday.

    Slightly off topic, but I also hate that WalMart has been playing Christmas music for the last two weeks and has trees lit up all over the store. Costco has had Christmas stuff out since mid-September. I'm sure other stores have as well, but I don;t get out much. Shees, can't we enjoy the month of November and look forward to Thanksgiving without being bombarded with Christmas stuff??!!! And I love Christmas, but I love it in December, not September, October and November.
     
    3 people like this.
  5. tinalb

    tinalb Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    I find it all to be crazy! The reason the stores open at ridiculous hours is because people will shop at those crazy hours. But, to answer your question, no it doesn't bother me. I won't be shopping, but if other people want to, more power to them.
     
  6. Mama_Kim

    Mama_Kim Well-Known Member

    Me too!!
     
  7. twin_trip_mommy

    twin_trip_mommy Well-Known Member

    I agree Tina, it is crazy but people want to shop so the stores are opening OR maybe it's the stores are opening so people are going to shop.

    _______

    I work retail. I do not work for one of the stores that will be open Thanksgiving Day but I do work for one that will be opening just after midnight. Personally I do not consider this to be Thanksgiving Day. Black Friday is a Day we are told everyone works. If we do not want to work the midnight we can do the day shift. I put my name on the available list for midnight. I am getting extra money per hour (everyone starting at midnight does) and I am going to be able to leave at 8:30am or stay longer if I want to keep cashiering (continuing to get the extra $ per hour). This is GREAT for me/my family.

    I know it is going to be crazy. I have worked retail 5 years now. Last year we had a woman get punched in the face by a man who wanted the TV she had and a guy urinated in the fitting room along with some other crazy stuff happening. It's retail. I am sure I will have some very rude people yelling at me and some others happy with me. I had a few women kiss me a few years ago when I found the toys they wanted.
     
  8. eagleswings216

    eagleswings216 Well-Known Member

    I hate it for all the people that end up having to go to work on Thanksgiving rather than being with their families. Personally, the only place I am at 3am is in my bed sleeping. To each their own, but it's not for me.

    I also think it's ridiculous how all the stores started decorating for Christmas before Halloween. I remember when I was little you never saw decorations before Thanksgiving.
     
    1 person likes this.
  9. NINI H

    NINI H Well-Known Member

    I think it stinks that they take away the national holiday by make people work ON Thanksgiving Day. The day after is different. One of us always goes and buys anything that will save us a large quantity of money the day after. BUT, if it's not on sale, we wait. The only reason we shop is for the deals. DH was one of the people waiting in line very patiently for a laptop last year. If it wasn't for that sale, the kids wouldn't have a computer for school this year. We couldn't have afforded anything else. And yes, $100-200 makes a HUGE difference in a buy for us. We have a very limited budget for Christmas. We likely only spend $35 on most people. DH and I don't always exchange gifts. If I can buy something much nicer for someone by getting it on black Friday than we spend the time and effort to get it.

    I'd LOVE for them to spread out the great deals though! I'd love to spend the day shopping online instead!!! :)

    This year we have to travel, so unless it's a pretty special something, we won't be shopping.
     
  10. becasquared

    becasquared Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    Do you care that some stores are open ON Thanksgiving Day? - Nope.

    Does it bug you that some are opening at midnight Friday? - Nope.

    Will you shop? - Nope. I do not do crowds.
     
    2 people like this.
  11. Jill R.

    Jill R. Well-Known Member

    It doesn't bother me that stores are opening on Thanksgiving or midnight on Friday. I'm not one of the crazy ones that goes out though. I've done 3 black friday's at bath and body works, and they were super fun. Last year I was an opener, so I was there at 3am. Everyone in my store was happy and the day flew by.
     
  12. tinalb

    tinalb Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    There are many, many jobs that require people to work on national holidays. Traditionally, most retail stores have been closed but if they choose to open & people are willing to shop on those days, then I guess the employees will have to work or find other jobs, although I do get how they feel. :pardon:
     
  13. Moodyzblu

    Moodyzblu Well-Known Member

    I worked retail about 17 years in total and spent many a Black Friday either behind a register or customer service manager. I'll admit .. I loved it ! But this was before they started opening so early. I used to have to be there for 4am so we could open at 5am. The store was closed for Thanksgiving. The town where I worked had strict rules and wouldn't allow us to open before then.
    I don't plan on being there at opening .. but I'll mosey on over after the crowds have lightened up. I've seen a few things in the Walmart flyer that I wouldn't mind getting .. but I won't hold my breath hoping they are still there by the time I get there.
    I've seen some crazy stuff go on during the mad rush and don't want to be in the middle of that. But I know lot's of people who have made it a part of their tradition.
     
  14. lianyla

    lianyla Well-Known Member

    Right. Never have, never will. Don't give much, if any, thought to it.

    I have no time to do that stuff anyway. And, frankly, I'd rather pay MORE than go through that whole ordeal!
     
  15. Dielle

    Dielle Well-Known Member

    I do think it's terrible that they're open on Thanksgiving. And I think it's kind of dumb that they open at midnight. But I love getting up crazy early on Friday morning and going to the fabric store. Haha, that's the extent of most of my Black Friday shopping. And believe me, it's crazy how nutso some women can get over flannel. Seriously. But it's what my DD and I do. Luckily the store opens at 6, so we get there about 5am, because otherwise the line will be around the store. Afterward, we go get hot chocolate and might brave Penney's or Target. And sometimes I'll do Walmart in the afternoon (NO WAY do I want to be there first thing in the morning). But I've been known to leave a cart with stuff in it when the lines are too stupid. Our Christmas is a little more low-key than many, though. We try to make most of our gifts so the majority of our shopping is at JoAnn's and Home Depot. We get some online. A few years we had a BIG Christmas for us when we spent over $500 for the year on a Wii, Wii Fit, games and more. I got it all at Game Stop. I had thought they opened at 6, but it turned out they opened at 7, so we were the first ones in line and got everything we wanted.
     
  16. Kendra

    Kendra Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    I may head over this year because I'll be in the Falls anyway but that will be after 9 when I'm sure all the deals will be gone.

    I'm always surprised by how many US stores are open on what I'd call holidays. Labor Day & Good Friday being the biggest.
     
  17. angelsmom2001

    angelsmom2001 Well-Known Member

    Michelle and Cheryl, one advantage to working retail in Massachusetts..........stores CAN'T be open on Thanksgiving Day. Other than convenience stores and the like. I have spent more than 20 years working retail and I if I have a choice I won't go back to it. I absolutely hated working between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. So with that in mind, my opinion of stores being open crazy hours, on holidays etc., is a bit (okay maybe a LOT) skewed.

    I really wish that we didn't live in such a gimme gimme gimme, 'I have to have it NOW' society/culture. That is what I think drives retailers and consumers to create the chaos of Black Friday. If we didn't HAVE to have this 'thing' and have to save x amount of money to get it, the stores wouldn't see the need to be open crazy hours.
     
    1 person likes this.
  18. Rollergiraffe

    Rollergiraffe Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    Our Thanksgiving is in October so we don't have Black Friday, but it's the same to me as Boxing Day (day after Christmas) shopping. There is nothing in the world that I want badly enough to wait in a line for any amount of time. My husband has bought the occasional thing in after Christmas sales, and last year we lucked out having to replace all of our appliances just after Christmas, but we don't do the consumer thing. As for it being open on holidays, I don't think it's a sacrilege or anything, but I wish there wasn't demand for it. I think people have lost all sight of the holidays.
     
  19. Meximeli

    Meximeli Well-Known Member

    I agree completely. It was even still fun when you flipped the order to get up, go shopping, eat breakfast. Stores should open no earlier than 6 or 7. Anything else is ridiculous and totally in sensitive to employees.
     
  20. Moodyzblu

    Moodyzblu Well-Known Member

    I can't imagine the stores would have any LESS of a turnout if they opened at 7am .. a sale is a sale no matter what time it starts. It's just a battle of the retailers to see who can get the customers in the stores first and get the money. But it's a battle that the poor store associates have to suffer for. For those people that have to work at 12 am .. this means they have to spend Thanksgiving afternoon trying to get some sleep instead of spending the day with their families.
     
  21. DblStuffOreo

    DblStuffOreo Well-Known Member

    Ironically, our family tradition is to go to the zoo on Black Friday because NO ONE IS THERE. Moms are at the mall, kids are with the dads (who don't think about taking the kids out) and we are alone with the beasts.
     
    2 people like this.
  22. Code

    Code Well-Known Member

    I am thankful we don't have this, we do have boxing day sales though. Thankfully I am way to expensive to work on public holidays so I will not have to work. They will put the young ones on, who they can get away with $25 an hour verses the $40 odd they would have to pay me. It is fine by me! :smilie_xmas_116:
     
  23. rrodman

    rrodman Well-Known Member

    My shopping will be done in my pajamas on the computer. That said, I don't think it's insensitive to employees. Lots of people work on holidays. Heck, I often work on Thanksgiving. Nurses, doctors, road crews, hospital staff, police, etc.
     
  24. moski

    moski Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    I feel for those who would have to work on the day, but when I worked we had to have staff in on all Holidays except Christmas and New Year's. We worked with international currency markets and they didn't really care whether it was American Thanksgiving or Independence Day.

    I usually shop on line on Black Friday. If I went out, I'd have to be back by 7 AM for my husband to head into work. I would NEVER bring my kids shopping on that day. Way too crowded.

    Our town wouldn't allow them to open on Thanksgiving Day (only convenience stores, CVS are open that day). Last week on Veteran's Day, the stores in our town could only open from 1-6.
     
  25. MichelleL

    MichelleL Well-Known Member

    I LOVE shopping on Black Friday (yep, one of the freaks :lol: ) but do not agree with stores being opening at midnight or during the day on Thanksgiving day! Before you know it, the whole country will be open 24 hours/day 365 days/year.
     
  26. kingeomer

    kingeomer Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    This is me.
    I don't care that stores are open on Thanksgiving or open midnight Friday. I refuse to shop on Black Friday. I loathe the crowds. If I do any shopping, it will be on the computer. My mom and I have plans on taking the kids to see the Muppet movie. My husband has to work Thanksgiving and the day after.
     
  27. Oneplus2more

    Oneplus2more Well-Known Member

    I might hit the midnight sales - but only online! No way will I be shopping at 3 or 4 am. In the past, I've left about 6:30am - mostly to make sure I'm gone before any of the girl wake up and whine to come along! I may or may not do that this year - for the first time ever, I've actually bought a good bit of Christmas stuff already and most of the rest I know what I'm getting and am hoping to buy online on Black Friday, that weekend or Cyber Monday (does that even still have great online deals anymore, or will BF deals be best??) The girls have asked the last few years to do BF shopping with me. I'm kicking around the idea of taking them shopping that morning for their Christmas dresses, Daddy's presents & an early kick-off-the Christmas-season lunch out. If I do, we won't leave crazy early, probably about 9ish, so about the time they are used to leaving for school.

    While I get where some of the PPs are coming from about a lot of professions having to work holidays - I honestly hate to see retail going that direction. Some establishments need to be open 24/7/365 - stores do not fall in to that category. Everything is so commericalized now, why should retail employees have to curtail their Thanksgiving holiday so people can shop?! It can't wait a day, or even twelve hours?! At this rate, in a few years it will be commonplace for stores to be open all day on Thanksgiving. Sad, IMO. I am also completely annoyed at how early Christmas decorations and merchandise are out in the stores. The only reason I have so much "Christmas" shopping done is that I went crazy-overboard buying for the twins' October birthday and then came to my senses & decided to hold some back. lol Generally I believe in following: One holiday at a time!!
     
  28. rrodman

    rrodman Well-Known Member

    If the stores don't do good business, then people lose jobs. The point of retail is to make money, not provide a lifestyle for employees. And it doesn't seem like people mind it--more money for their own holidays.
     
    2 people like this.
  29. Oneplus2more

    Oneplus2more Well-Known Member

    I'm sure some do and some don't. I did hear an interview of a retail employee complaining that he would miss his family's Thanksgiving celebration so he could sleep Thursday afternoon in order to be at work that night at 11 pm & work all night into the day Friday. It's fine to say tough, that's the way it is - but really, this whole phenomenon has been created by the stores - they just as easily could all stay closed until noon on Friday - and have the same craze when they finally opened... there is no reason that it "needs" to be this way in order for the stores to do a good holiday business.
     
    4 people like this.
  30. rrodman

    rrodman Well-Known Member

    No, but if one opens early, then others need to follow suit. And some are always open 24 hours--a lot of Walmarts for example. Lots of people work holidays, and you know working retail it's par for the course. It's ridiculous, but it's good business for stores.
     
  31. Moodyzblu

    Moodyzblu Well-Known Member

    Thats what I'm sayin' !

    I worked in retail long enough to know they will show up whether they open at midnight or 7am. If you got what the customer wants .. they'll be there. I just feel bad for people like my former co-workers who normally work 7-4 and are being forced to come in at 12:01 against their wishes. Yeah, sure, they can opt not to come in and be reprimanded or worse .. but many are too afraid of losing their jobs and will just do it.
     
  32. hudsonfour

    hudsonfour Well-Known Member

    I don't do it! Having worked retail in HS and after, this point in my life I like to enjoy my day with the family and friends. this year I want to buy the girls a new computer and have considered doing BF...but I really don't know that it would be worth my effort. What if am not a lucky person to get the few computers that are listed at the sales price? I will pay the extra $$$ just to be at home with the family.
    Plus, I really hate being around people in public...
     
  33. kim01

    kim01 Well-Known Member

    For me I don't like stores that open on thanksgiving day,and won't shop at them on that day. As for opening at midnight thats fine by me,I do do the shoppng the next morning. I just think that stores should show some compassion to employees and let them be home with their families. but I have heard perhaps they don't have one. I'm sure there are by far more people working there that do have families and want to be home than don't have families and want to be working. So to be fair I think they should be closed. For those that don't celebrate there is always the internet. :)
     
  34. Meximeli

    Meximeli Well-Known Member

    While it's true that a lot of people work on Holidays, I don't think you can compare those professions to working retail. When you decide to become a nurse, a police officer, a doctor, a fire fighter, what have you. You go in to it (hopefully) because you have a vocation to serve. You know that 24 hours on call is part of it. You know that you will be working Christmas day until you build up senoirity. And we as a society NEED your service. I we really ought to be paying you more!

    That's not what it's like to work retial. My mom worked in a department store when I was in high school and college. She got the job, one because she didn't need to do any special long training for it, but two because it flexible had day time hours. The store opened at 10 and closed at 9. On Sundays it closed at 6. And we as a society to not NEED to shop at 3 am.

    I agree, they could open at noon, people could line up from 10 am or earlier if they wanted to. Employees would go in early that morning to set it all up, and we all be better for it.
     
    4 people like this.
  35. Leighann

    Leighann Well-Known Member

    Our outlet mall is opening at 9pm on Thanksgiving this year. They used to open at midnight and if you wanted to get out there you had to be on the road by 9pm because of the crazy gridlock traffic on the one highway that you can use to get there. People would drive around the parking lot for HOURS looking for a spot. I just don't get it. My sister's boyfriend works retail at that outlet mall and I guess he'll leave thankgiving dinner around 7 to drive out there and then he'll work all night.

    I don't see the point of pushing the opening earlier and earlier to the point of it being the previous day! Like a pp said, a sale is a sale and people will come. Personally I don't shop on black friday unless its in my PJs on my computer. I don't enjoy crowds and don't particularly enjoy shopping either.
     
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