I personally won't be going shopping on Thu OR Fri because 1) I have to work on Friday, 2) I don't have anything I'd like to buy with such urgency and 3) I don't like shopping. I will put it out there I HAVE gone out once during Black Friday, before I started working (so 6 years ago), with my dad. It was Friday, we left at 4am, stood in the freezing <40 degree weather for about 3 hours and had a good time. We only bought a GPS unit. We had nothing in mind, just wanted to hang out and that sounded like fun. And it was!
Back to working on Thu: I understand that'd suck if you have a big, close and cozy family and you want to spend time with them, or you have to travel between families to spread some of that Thanksgiving cheer. Only to return home, turn around, and go to work by 6pm. Though it is perfectly within the employers' rights, it's not "nice".
I would likely be one that'd work on that day because I'm a sad individual with nothing better to do on my day off besides make a few extra bucks, I'm a masochist, and I genuinely think it would be fun to see the chaos and the kind of sanctimonious people who shop in such an occasion while decreeing employers are the evil of the world for forcing employees to work during this family-gathering holiday. Let's ignore the stores are open because of people like them.
Let me clarify this: I am not for or against the notion of stores opening early or for or against shopping Thanksgiving Thu or Black Fri. People have their reasons and motives. Just wondering what other people around the PF community thinks about the whole issue.
I did Black Friday, twice.. no amount of savings will ever get me out there again!
ReplyDeleteHaha, I've heard that a lot.
DeleteAs a Libertarian I have nothing against stores being open any time they wish. If you go into retail you have to know that one of the hazards of that biz is working insane hours at the holidays. Same with food service.....being in that industry dictates you work on most, if not all holidays.
ReplyDeleteYou don't want to work holidays? Don't take a job in those industries. 8-)
That being said, as a consumer, I am NO fan of Black Friday et al. I hate crowds to begin with and standing in line for hours in the wee hours of the night/morning to get a cheap toaster is NOT my idea of fun. But I DID participate twice in my life in this madness-- My first bout with insanity was in 1999 when beanies were all the rage. I drove an hour to get to a mall with a Disney store to stand in line for 4 hours!! to get a ticket that "allowed" me buy a special Winnie the Pooh beanie that was only sold that 1 day. I was going to sell the beanie on eBay for big money.....except most of the other millions of people who did this and got that beanie had the same idea. Plan thwarted, time and money wasted and I still think I have that stupid toy in a box here somewhere. lolz
My second time, I went to KMart on Thanksgiving morning 2004(after I got the turkey in the oven)to get some Nintendo system for #2 Son's Xmas. At that time it was a very HOT item that sold out everywhere and it was the main thing he wanted from Santa when he was about 8 yr. old, so I did this for him.
Oh wait.....we went out on BF as a family once(and took the nephew along too). But we didn't leave at 4 am or something, it was more like 9am after all the CRAZY people went home.lol We shopped a few places, had lunch and went home. That trip was a fun time since we went together and weren't desperate to buy anything really.
It's all well and good to say "don't take a job in xyz" but in this economy sometimes we have to take what we can get. I work at Walmart and I'm dreading Black Friday. I think sometimes nobody has any empathy for those of us stuck dealing with lunatics on that day, or the ridiculous hours we have to work. I would be fine working my normal hours on that day, but we're being made to get up at 1 am to work. Ridiculous...and I know, you don't care. Whatever.
DeleteMaybe I should just go back to the magical land where everyone can pick and choose exactly what job they want, along with title, salary, and benefits. Because that's totally the world we live in. -_-
I worked food service. I knew going in the hours, demands on me. I was glad to have that job even so!
DeleteEvery job has it's stressors. If you didn't work retail and had to deal with lunatic shoppers a few times a year at ungodly hours, then you'd have another type of job with it's own unique "problems". How about a cop or fire person? I'm sure they'd like to trade their life threatening job stress with your dealing with unreasonable shoppers job.
If you don't enjoy customer service type jobs(or it's hours and demands)there are other fields to go into, even ones where you don't need specialized training and that also pay low end wages like retail.
Don't get me wrong I do feel empathy for workers in crap jobs.
But yes, even in this economy, if you have your health, you can make changes in your life situation if you really want to.
I think that makes a difference; going more for the fun of it than the craze of getting something.
DeleteI went out one time on Black Friday and it wasn't worth standing out in the cold.... never have done it again... I have gone out later in the afternoon on Friday... but the stores are a mess.... I do a lot of on line shopping now... get better deals...
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately in retail employees don't have many choices.... Working nights, weekends and ect....it's not a 9 to 5 job... I am hoping the stores that are open pay their employee pay double time... not time in a half... I doubt it... Hopefully they get time in a half then...If you do go shopping and smile and tell them you appreciate them... Most retail workers are always being snapped at by people... It's not their fault... so thank them this year....
I personally will not go out and shop on Thursday ..... We are having a late dinner....around 5 pm... Because my kids have their spouses families to go to....I chose being last in serving dinner as we can spend more time after dinner together...
If people don't want the stores to open up then don't go...Lisa
I did an internet search hoping you were right, but unfortunately Black Friday is not a national holiday and Walmart, where I work, does not pay time and a half. Adds insult to injury. I'm dreading it. I just hope I get a normal eight hour day, even if it is 1 am to 9 am or something messed up like that. Ugh.
DeleteI totally agree with you, lisa. A lot of the people complaining about businesses being open on Thu are those that will be in-line waiting to get in.
DeleteLisa- A lot of stores (and restaurants) will do some price incentive for the workers. Sorry to hear that Walmart isn't doing that. Hopefully they come around and agree to. It isn't a national holiday, but some places consider it "prime time" (sort of like graveyard shifts). Best of luck to you! Hope you get a calmer shift.
As somebody who worked in the restaurant industry for a long time, I don't have an issue with the stores being open. We were open every day but Christmas day and some restaurants are even open that day.
ReplyDeleteI have done Black Friday shopping a couple times and I might do it again but all online now. The deals are the same so why not stay home? You can really get some good deals on Black Friday though.
Online is the way to go, I agree. Other than door-busters, store shopping is just so-so.
DeleteJust a funny note on this subject.....When I was a waitress many MANY moons ago, we had a priest who use to come in regularly on Sundays at our restaurant to eat. I am supposing that his rectory staff had the day off so nobody was there to cook for him.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, one time he made a comment to me about how people shouldn't have to work on Sunday, the lord's day. I said, "Yah, we won't have to work or be open if people like him didn't insist on eating out on Sundays."
Pow! That was the last time he said anything like that to me. lolz
Yup... people like that (especially the religious type, I swear) are the reason for these things. I've had people argue with us that we shouldn't be at work on Thanksgiving or Christmas. They cite the same "Lord's day, Lord's holiday, blah blah", yet here they are using said establishments and causing them to be open and staffed. Their lack of logic hurts my brains.
DeleteI only have to buy some cards (mailorder from Leanin' Tree). Maybe one or two presents, and that's it. So no shopping on me on Black Friday or the day before, or even online on Black Monday!
ReplyDeleteI am off on Friday, it's actually a holiday as well as Thanksgiving. I took Wednesday off so I can travel on Tuesday night and be past the worst traffic on Wednesday morning (I sleep at the halfway point since I hate driving late at night - I get drowsy).
Peace <3
Jay
Aaw, not even Cyber Monday? I had forgotten all about it, haha. Very smart about starting the traveling early. Traffic is a killer, even in my neck of the woods.
DeleteYou couldn't pay me to go shopping on Black Friday. I have found most things I want online at same price
ReplyDeleteQuite true. But I think it's fun with others, more as an excursion than as a shopping trip.
DeleteA couple of years ago we really wanted to buy a TV from Walmart on Black Friday. Hubby hates shopping period but he agreed to try that time. Well, a week before we went on Walmart website and found an even nicer and bigger TV for the same price on sale :)
ReplyDeleteI do a little bit of shopping on Black Friday but mostly go on actual Friday and never stand in line for anything hot. But Thanksgiving night is for the family!
There's a rumor that prices actually go lower before BF than before... I think it's true, but there's more hype on the Friday.
DeleteThe K-mart by my house has always been open Thanksgiving day. My family always has a late lunch for Thanksgiving, then I would always want to go shopping at Kmart to get out of the house for a bit. Plus the store wasn't busy. When I was a teenager and worked at Ames, I had to work on Thanksgiving. They had people volunteer for shifts and a lot of people did to earn the holiday pay. That was 14 years ago. So I don't see why people make such a big deal about it now.
ReplyDelete