Black Thursday? Stores Opening Doors on Thanksgiving Day
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Get your wallets — and your elbows — ready.
Christmas shopping will be starting even earlier this year. Black Friday is coming to Thursday. Yep, Thanksgiving Day.
“Nothing’s sacred anymore, I guess,” Chicago resident Amanda Palmucci said today. “I don’t agree with it. I think the best way to spend Thanksgiving is with your family – overeating, you know.”
For the first time, Target, Macy’s, Best Buy and Kohl’s say they will be opening their doors at midnight Thursday. Wal-Mart will open at 10 p.m.
“Basically what it is, it’s a race for space,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at the NPD Group. “If retailers can be the first doors open, they’re going to capture that enthusiastic Black Friday customer.”
“If somebody is opening at midnight, well, look for somebody to say, ‘Well, we’re going to open at 11 p.m.,’ and look for someone else to say, ‘Well, we’re just not going to close on Thanksgiving Day at all,’” he said.
Cohen said that even though the weekend represented about 11 percent of the holiday business, it still set a tone.
“It tells consumers where they can tell their friends the really good deals are. People love to tell a great story,” he said.
“I can understand why they’re doing it – because of the economy at this point [and] trying to increase sales, ” said Phyllis Etheridge. “But I think [the holiday is] for family. Everyone should be at home, really, celebrating with their family.”
Etheridge said she supported the stores choosing not to open on Thanksgiving and hoped other shoppers would, too.
In fact, Sears and JC Penney said they will not be opening on Thanksgiving Day so that workers can be with their families. And Anthony Hardwick, a Target employee, has created an online petition urging his employer not to open until Friday morning.
“I’m going to have to get some sleep and I’ll probably go to bed at 2 and miss my family’s Thanksgiving dinner completely,” said Hardwick, who has to be at work at Target at 11 p.m. to prepare for the rush of shoppers.
“Normally on Thanksgiving, [we] get together with my aunts, uncles and grandparents, Mom and Dad, sisters for a nice big Thanksgiving dinner,” he said today. “I’ll miss out on everything.”
Brenda Hurst told ABC News that she’d shopped on Black Friday once and would never do it again.
“It was an absolute madhouse,” the Indiana woman said. “I had a woman who would not give me a parking spot. … She was saving it for somebody. My personal vote is: Everyone take a break from spending and let’s just be thankful for what we already have with our family and good health.”
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I’m encouraging all my family not to shop. There is no respect for our cherished Holidays or their real meaning. All those “PC” stores can keep their products. Opening on Thanksgiving day just proves it.
Posted by: Kala | November 11, 2011, 6:41 pm 6:41 pm
McDonalds will also be open Thanksgiving and Christmas ( in the Chicago area). These are days we should be with our families. McD’s claims to be a family oriented company and talk Work/life balance.
They shoud “walk the talk”.
Posted by: Cathie | November 11, 2011, 6:44 pm 6:44 pm
This is completely stupid that you are having to give up your traditional Thanksgiving Dinner to buy something that you need. I understand that this country is in a recession but the stores can’t be so greedy that they are ruining this special day…I have no words for how furious I am with this!!!
Posted by: Rani | November 11, 2011, 6:47 pm 6:47 pm
This is disgusting that the almighty dollar has taken over tradition. The stores need to get over the fact that some people don’t have money to spend on things for the holidays-some people are just looking to put food on their table and pay their bills and keep a roof over their head. I would rather spend a day with my family then try to get a so called bargin at some store, which is probably the actual price anyway. What ever happened to the time when ALL stores were closed on the holidays?
Posted by: chris | November 11, 2011, 6:49 pm 6:49 pm
This is pitiful, apparently there is no more respect for Family, the Almighty Dollar taking priority over all else, freakin’ sad…. I feel sorry for the employees who have to work in these stores on Thanksgiving instead of spending quality time w/their families, THEY SHOULD ALL GO ON STRIKE!!!
Posted by: Susan | November 11, 2011, 6:54 pm 6:54 pm
What is worse is Old Navy (Chicago area) is open ALL day on Thanksgiving. Is there nothing sacred about family anymore …only the almighty dollar!
Posted by: Elieen | November 11, 2011, 6:55 pm 6:55 pm
I’m glad to see the big stores are not breaking with tradition……I wish they would talk to OLD NAVY. They are planning on being open ALL DAY on Thanksgiving. The stores’ name would lead you to think there is some patriotism going on……I guess OLD Navy brass doesn’t seem to think so. I feel sorry for the workers, Maybe if no one shows up, they’ll respect the holiday next year!
Posted by: michelle | November 11, 2011, 6:59 pm 6:59 pm
I wish the movie theatres would at least close during the holidays, we also have family we liked to spend with.
Posted by: mark | November 11, 2011, 7:11 pm 7:11 pm
Hey…….you know what? its not MANDATORY that you shop. The family is about YOUR commitment to YOUR family. Its simple – if you wanna spend the day with your family, then you will. If you wanna shop, go shop. Nobody is going to come and arrest you for staying home. I think its great to give us an earlier time. And like I said, nobody is REQUIRING you to go there.
Posted by: Mark | November 11, 2011, 7:17 pm 7:17 pm
But what about the employees that have to work regardless if anybody is shopping .. and these days nobody wants to risk losing a job
Posted by: michelle | November 11, 2011, 7:45 pm 7:45 pm
This is disgraceful. How many more cherished holidays are the stores going to ruin with their greed. I’m sure the president or CEO of the company isn’t going to work at the store and give up his or her time with his or her family. Yet they expect their employees to give up their family time. Some of them will probably even be encouraged to work or loose their much needed jobs. Its not fair to the average person. And for what to get a little more money in the company pockets. Do we really need to spend more money on things we really don’t need. Americans need to re-evaluate their priorities.
Posted by: Elsie | November 11, 2011, 10:03 pm 10:03 pm
Oh PLEASE!!!!! Anyone who is so concerned about the sanctity of Thanksgiving and Family on this ABC board had better not be watching football or any other sport on Turkey Day or any other holiday for that matter. I hope you have no TV on, like in my house, and are truly enjoying the holiday for it’s purpose – thankful for your blessings. If you want to shop, so be it. How many wives become football widows on these days? Everybody wins. The husband watches the game in peace, the wife fights for the last pair of boots in her size. It’s a win-win. If you are soooo concerned about how the mighty dollar is NOW affecting holidays, you should have been voicing it when the NFL and the NCAA decided turn these “sacred days” into sporting events decades ago. What about the people who work the concessions? THe ticket booths, the TV people? they all have families too! No one’s crying for them. What about the families of the players who have to give up those days because it’s part of their job? This is America – everything, even the Pilgrims and Jesus, are for sale, sometimes at 60% off. Hopefully, if you do have to work, you’ll get holiday pay. And if you don’t, you should sue.
Posted by: edc1970 | November 11, 2011, 10:58 pm 10:58 pm
This is America, a so called Christian Holiday, Divorce, aboration, money over family. WWDJ. Not work and spend time with the ones he loves. America is going down the drain. Money over family.
Posted by: Thomas | November 12, 2011, 2:51 am 2:51 am
This is crap, in the very last part of the story last night they said Sears & JcPenney’s were staying out of it, so that their employee’s could spend Thanksgiving with their families…Um, I do believe Sears is Kmart, and Kmart is open ALL day on Thanksgiving!! Talk about Hippocrates! All of their employees are REQUIRED to work at least 4 hours on turkey day!? give me a break! the all mighty dollar has prevailed over family values!!
Posted by: Melissa Reynolds | November 12, 2011, 9:39 am 9:39 am
Boycott the biggest anti-family event of the year! Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart and other big corporate retailers are sponsoring the biggest anti-family event of the year: “black Thursday sale.” The biggest sale of the year is now held on Thanksgiving night, forcing thousands of employees to cancel their family celebrations and enticing millions of others to do the same with special savings. Thanksgiving is a time for families to gather and celebrate, which is why it is the biggest travel period of the year. What’s next, Christmas day sales? Complain on their company web sites, facebook and twitter. We can’t allow them to repeat this attack on the family in the name of corporate greed! Pass this on to all you know.
Posted by: Dave Lyon | November 12, 2011, 11:24 pm 11:24 pm
Walmart is opened all day on Thanksgiving Day. It is just the deals that start at 10 PM. And yes, I get to work on Thanksgiving Day at Walmart.
Posted by: simplyklb | November 13, 2011, 3:40 am 3:40 am
We should be giving thanks everyday, not once a year. Stay home and let others shop
Posted by: Angela | November 15, 2011, 8:59 am 8:59 am
What is Thanksgiving Day anyhow? The Indians got kicked out of their land by European settlers, let’s not forget what this “holiday” is truly about!
Posted by: Anonymous | November 15, 2011, 10:49 am 10:49 am
Anyone thought about the millions of turkeys about to be (and already) slaughtered? Or the outrageous “TurDuckIn” animal combination? Some holiday!
Posted by: Anonymous | November 15, 2011, 10:55 am 10:55 am
I would personally like to thank, John B. Menzer, Charles M. Stonteby, Mike Greenwood, Philo T. Pappas and Paula A. Puleo, who are all key executives for Michaels Stores Inc. for ruining my families Thanksgiving. My question to all of you is will you be working on Thankgiving day like my wife will be? Happy Holidays!!!!
Posted by: Jared Earickson | November 16, 2011, 10:19 pm 10:19 pm
This trend saddens me and I will be avoiding any store that finds profits more important than letting their employees be with family on Thanksgiving.
Posted by: Kevin in massachusetts | November 16, 2011, 11:01 pm 11:01 pm
Is there any way we could get the stores to go back to 4 a.m.? Would complaining at the store help?
I think that hour is fine, but 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving!!!!! I love shopping, but this just ruins the reason for having Thanksgiving.
Posted by: shh | November 18, 2011, 9:42 am 9:42 am
All this complaining makes me so sick!! First of all think about all of our military that misses all of the holidays, birthdays etc with their family for a full year while they are fighting for our country! Quit your complaining and be thankful that you have a job or that your family member has a job. If it means that much to some of you that your family member is there to celebrate with do it on a day that they don’t have to work! Put it all in perspective people and stop being such drama queens!!
Posted by: tara | November 24, 2011, 7:52 am 7:52 am
I thought this was free country. If I can shop on Thanksgiving, I will. You can’t force your lifestyle on me. If u want to eat all day, go ahead.
Posted by: Me | November 24, 2011, 1:14 pm 1:14 pm
I’m so sick of these greedy stores being opened on holidays. All stores should be closed on all holidays so employees can spend time with their families. The only reason to open other than corporate greed is to cater to the stupid customers. Customers and stores don’t care that they are disrupting family time among the employees and their families.
Customers, stores are open for you all other times of the year. Shop then, not on holidays. Just because you have nothing else to do, don’t feel you have the right to drag employees away from their families to fill your selfish need to shop. I hope all these stores fail.
If my boss forced me to work on a holiday I would say no. I don’t care how much overtime you were paying. It’s the principle. Family comes first, not corporate greed! Are the big shot CEO’s going to give up their holiday? No! Customers and stores better get their act together and stay with their loved ones while they still have them!
Posted by: takebackholidays | November 24, 2011, 5:16 pm 5:16 pm
NOTHING is sacred anymore. We don’t have the CEO’s to blame for this, it is the IDIOTS that actually shopped when they tested this crazy notion…. I know that Toys R Us tested opening at 7pm on Thanksgiving 2 years ago. Gee I wonder how that turned out…. Holidays have now become gimmick, a reason to have a sale. If we as a nation would appreciate and observe our own holidays things like this would not happen. The consumerist society that we live in has created this culture, we need to be grateful for what we have and not worry about having the latest greatest thing. I mean, is it really such a bad thing to have an electronic device that is a couple of years old?? Stop shopping on these sacred days and enjoy your FAMILY!!
Posted by: rjfunk81 | November 25, 2011, 11:04 pm 11:04 pm