Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

This is a big debate in my family. Do you think stores should be open on thanksgiving or should employees be with their families?

my friend has to WORK thanksgiving...the store doesnt open until the evening but they obviously have to get there earlier.

i never really thought about it until it affected someone i knew and she is so upset but needs the money so has to work.

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

I think its ridiculous. The people that work in these stores should be able to have a holiday. I don't buy into the whole black friday/shopping thing anyway.

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

I don't agree with stores opening on thanksgiving night. I believe employees should be able to enjoy thanksgiving dinner with their families and relax. Black Friday has been so hyped up in recent years, with all this urgency created amongst customers to be the first one in the store. Things are going to be on sale after that as well, these stores want your business!

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

horrible - i am sorry turkey day isn't religious so its the one holiday everyone can participate in.

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

there are lots of stores open on thanksgiving and always have been...bakeries, supermarkets etc

limited hours but still...the show must go on.

I do think it stinks if you are forced to work. my mom worked for the post office and was forced to work many holidays when I was a kid.

I on the other hand, worked in a haagen dazs shop decorating cakes and I LOVED serving people on holidays...everyone was generally so much nicer, and I was always home in time for turkey.

so I don't know. I am hoping it will be less crazy since there are more hours to get deals so people won't be trampled to death but I can't say whether I "support" it or not.

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

No, I do not agree that stores are open on Thanksgiving. Those workers have families that they want to spend time with too.

I have not and will never shop on Thanksgiving.

eta: I worked for a supermarket and had to work on Thanksgiving. I hated it. I can't tell you how many people came in looking for turkeys the day of.

Message edited 11/17/2011 10:22:10 AM.

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

I used to work in a retail pharmacy...my brother is also in retail....I think its TERRIBLE! I know that in this economy people are happy to have jobs,but that shouldnt mean they dont get a Thanksgiving dinner with family because they have to work selling kitchenware and christmas ornaments etc. I can understand pharmacies and things of that nature...but unless you work in medicine or emergency response etc, I dont think it is necessary for you to have to work.

I may shop at these stores...but I REFUSE to shop on Thanksgiving or Black Friday (I will online shop if anything)!

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

I think it's just gotten crazy, but, especially in this economy, I'm not totally surprised.

Other businesses have been open on holidays for a long time, though. DH used to manage a movie theater years ago and he had to work all the holidays. And obviously, so did some other employees.

I won't say I support what they are doing, but I probably won't boycott either. Well, I won't be shopping on Thanksgiving or probably even on Black Friday - been there, done that and the stress of awful people is too much for me now - but it won't make me stop shopping there forever.

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

I think that everyone should have the opportunity to relax with family, eat like a pig, and enjoy themselves. I don't see the need for stores to open at 9pm or even midnight. It's just crazy. I always feel bad for anyone that has to work in retail that day!

Edit - I read the post wrong. During the day should they work? Sure, as long as they close early. Most places are closed by 2-3:00 so it's not such a big deal.

Message edited 11/17/2011 10:29:37 AM.

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

No. I always like the sanctity of everything shutting down on Thanksgiving, made you feel like it was an important and special day. We can ALL celebrate regardless of religion. I know there are always jobs that must go on but IMO a Kohls all night sale is NOT one of them.

Message edited 11/17/2011 10:30:31 AM.

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

I think it's another sign of the "downfall" of our society. We put sales and shopping above family time and national holidays.

I don't even like that Sundays are so busy for everyone - kids have sports programs/functions, some schools have events and most stores are open. If weekdays and weeknights weren't so busy with things I think I might feel better about it, but I feel like no one has time to re-charge or re-connect with their families anymore.
JMO.

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

I am not against black Friday per se.

But it was hard enough for employees to come to work for a 7am opening store.

Then it was 5 or 6am.

Then it turned into 4am

Now it's midnight the night before. Which means employees have to leave their house ON THANKSGIVING day to go to work.

That's ridiculous!

I am NOT supporting this.

I have actually shopped online for the past 4 years. Finding about similar deals. Sleeping like a normal person and not risking my life to save $10 on a Walmart toys.

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

It's one for thing for stores to be open during the day but I cringe every time I see a commercial for stores opening at midnight and even earlier in the evening. NO ONE needs to buy a TV at 2am.

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

Nobody, unless their job is crucial, like police, firemen, hospital staff etc (we need them and are very thankful for them)should be working on Thanksgiving. People should be allowed to spend 1 day a year with their families and not have to worry about heading into work for a crappy sale. Things people value nowadays are pathetic. I grew up taught to value my family, now, people thing 50% off a stupid toy or electronic device is more important than spending time with their families. It is truly saddening.

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

I don't think it's right to force them to work on a holiday. They should have the day just like everyone else. I wouldn't even think of shopping on Thanksgiving day, I didn't know stores did this.

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

Not a big deal to me. I worked at Friendly's in HS and we were always open for breakfast. In college I worked for an airline (international, so they didn't care about the day), so it was a full day at the airport and since I was lowman, senior employees got that day off.

Really, it is just a day...you can have dinner with family and be grateful whenever you choose. For us, this year, we cannot be with family, so it will be a different day.


I will say I was shocked last year. We went to the Jets game last Tgiving and drove by TRU at 1:30 AM. We decided to pop in to see the deals thinking it would be empty. Holy crap, lines wrapped around the store. My time is worth more than the money saved.

Message edited 11/17/2011 10:56:23 AM.

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

I hate it & I won't go shopping on the holidays. If I'm missing something we do without. In high school & college I worked at a small grocery store & was forced to work 1/2 days on the holidays and even though I might be on the schedule until 2pm, they always kept us late if it was busy. And it ALWAYS was busy - I often had to work until 4pm & missed quite a few holiday meals. It was terrible. What rubbed me the most though were the idiots who were in there shopping that would complain "I can't believe they're making you work today!!" I'd sometimes hear this an hour after the posted signs said we'd closed...because of this I will NEVER go out on a holiday.

Message edited 11/17/2011 11:08:58 AM.

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

I will say that I needed to run to the supermarket on Thanksgiving day last year for something we had to replace and I was so thankful they were open and actually DID thank the cashier for working on Thanksgiving and wishing her an early closing so she could be with her family for dinner. She seemed so happy to have a customer acknowledge her working on a holiday.

That said, the whole -employees coming in at 9pm on Thanksgiving night so the stores can open at midnight- thing? Nah, that to me is just not necessary.

Honestly, why not spread out the deals so you don't have people losing sleep to save some money (which some families absolutely need to do in these hard times), and also so people are not trampled to death for these "doorbuster" deals that are so difficult to get anyway???

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

I think its disgusting and I refuse to shop on Thanksgiving or Black Friday.

Black Friday and its "deals" are becoming more important than the actual HOLIDAYS of Thanksgiving and Christmas. It makes me sick, I feel very strongly about it.

We have family members who stopped coming to Thanksgiving to "rest up" for Black Friday shopping.

Re: Stores Open on Thanksgiving....do you support them?

I do not shop on Thanksgiving.

And to be honest, I am thinking about boycotting stores that open on Thanksgiving, a holiday that's supposed to be for families. My shopping is not so extensive that I can't find good deals on Amazon or in stores that respect their workers.

Add this to the list of what's wrong with this country- we love the almighty dollar so much, the heck with the really important things.