To Shop or Not to Shop, that is the Black Friday Question
Where Does it End?
We all knew it was coming, the inevitable midnight opening of stores across the nation on Black Friday. Personally, it's much more appealing to stay up late on Thanksgiving night and head out for shopping at midnight than it is to wake up at 4 a.m. and wait in the cold until the stores open. But it does beg the question, "Where does it end?"
Midnight madness comes with a price. The employees of these stores do not have the luxury of showing up right at midnight. Most likely, they are in the store hours ahead of time, stocking shelves and preparing for the inescapable pandemonium. This means time taken away from their friends and family and celebrating Thanksgiving. So while it's more convenient for our bargain-hunting, penny-pinching buddies out there, it is commercialism at its worst. That is why a Target employee has started a petition in an effort to open the stores later (see article below).
And even though I would prefer to go out at midnight, I still think it's encroaching a bit too much on the holiday. I've heard that Nordstrom has refused to deck their halls until after Thanksgiving. It's a refreshing change from most of the malls and stores that put up lights and trees the day after Halloween. I can appreciate a company who recognizes that we should stop and be thankful for the blessings in our lives before rushing into the hustle and bustle of shopping for Christmas gifts -- and a company who is willing to potentially sacrifice profits for the sake of such things.
I'm neither an advocate of Black Friday shopping nor am I an opponent of it. But I do get the sense that this is not going to end until all the stores are open on Thanksgiving and Black Friday will no longer have any meaning. I'm still torn about what to do this Thanksgiving evening. I definitely have a hard time passing up a bargain but most likely I will not venture out. Nothing is worth being trampled by a mob of crazed idiots who are fighting for the bottom-of-the-line HDTV.
I'd prefer to sit in the warm comfort of my home and shop online. Cyber Monday doesn't take anyone away from their families does it?
Thanksgiving Reading
Related Topic
- Target Employee Starts Petition to Fight Back Against Opening Stores at Midnight on Black Friday | F
Anthony Hardwick, a Target employee, is speaking out against Thanksgiving shopping hours. He joined Neil Cavuto to discuss the petition he submitted to corporate headquarters in an effort to push back the midnight opening of Target stores on Black Fr