I have been a fan of shopping on Black Friday for many years now. I started going out in the early morning hours and standing in long lines when my kids were very young. I found it was the only way I could get them those hot toys that were hard to find yet they desperately wanted. I think my first time doing it was the year that Tickle Me Elmo was impossible to find. I have been going out every year since then and as they have grown the items have changed from toys to electronics and other things. Last year I brought my teenage daughter with me for the first time. We were in line at Best Buy long before the 5:00 AM opening hoping to snag all the items on our wish list at a bargain price.
Over the past few years I have noticed a trend with the stores opening earlier and earlier. In the past two years some stores have gone from opening at 5:00 AM, to 4:00 AM and then to 3:00 AM. However, this year really takes the cake with almost all the major stores opening at midnight or even earlier.
I must say I was so disgusted with this new start time that for the first time in well over a decade I opted not to head out when the stores opened on Black Friday. My daughter and I did go shopping on Black Friday but not at midnight; instead we went earlier in the morning when we would have normally headed out. Luckily, this year we were not looking for any of the hot deals being offered when the doors opened, so we were not disappointed.
I am not in favor of this trend towards opening earlier and earlier. I think what the retailers are doing is wrong because they are forcing employees and customers to cut short their Thanksgiving celebrations and that is just not right. I have included a link to an article about Target employees who had sent a petition to the company protesting the requirement that they have to begin working on Thanksgiving night. When I was out shopping I felt bad for many of the store employees I came in contact with because they had been working since 11:00 PM on Thanksgiving night and it was now Friday morning. These people are not accustomed to working a night shift and I think it was unfair of their employers to force them into this situation.
I hope that by the time the weekend comes to a close that the sales numbers do not support the early openings. Otherwise, if the retailers believe they had successful shopping weekend we may pay the price next year with store openings beginning early on Thanksgiving Day instead of Friday. Who knows are far they will go next time.
Submmitted by Judith McCormack
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