Is it time to change "Black Friday?"

My dd just got to work, she said the mall is crazy busy.
I'm running out later to pick up some online orders and bring her some food.
 
I realize that many workers don't mind but I feel bad for those who do. I think that unfortunately some laws are needed to protect the workers. The past has shown that. Whether or not that should include holidays is just a matter of opinion.
 
They should just call it it "Black November" and run the sales for the whole month and forget this one day nonsense. Then they could be closed on the actual holidays. And people wouldn't act like animals in the store.

Not about Black Friday, but occasionally throughout the year Macy's has TV commercials for their "One Day Sale" this coming Saturday. And, oh yeah, there's also a preview day on Friday with the same deals. Why can't they just say a 2 day sale?

But overall, yeah, it seems Black Friday is the whole month of November these days.
 




No blame Amazon. Because of Amazon about half of them will be out of business in 5 years. Many malls around the country are just getting decimated by Amazon.
I used to be a mall shopper. I could spend an entire day there. What started happening about 10-12 years ago is I’d go in looking for something and they’d tell me, “You have to go to our online store for that.” I’d ask if they would order it for me and once again they’d tell me to go online. This was long before Prime and two day shipping. Amazon was *just* starting to gain a foothold. So I’d leave mad without what I came for and not too keen on shopping those particular stores when they pretty much turned me away. Grudgingly I’d look at the store online, see high shipping fees and a 10-14 day delivery estimate for something I wanted TODAY. Then I’d check out Amazon. Oh look, if my order is over $25 shipping is free and I’ll get it in 3-5 days. Check this out, no (at the time) taxes! After so many times, I just started going to Amazon. From my point of view those stores pushed me right into Amazon’s arms. They were far too late to the game IMO.

On topic, I’m torn about Black Friday. I miss the thrill of the hunt. I never spent the night in line waiting for something but I’d head out in the wee hours and get my shop on. On the other hand, I like knowing I’ll get what I’m after because everyone is trying to beat the others earlier and earlier. I’ve had my Black Friday finds for at least a week. I’ll go out tomorrow, more for tradition than anything else but the last couple of years I’ve pretty much had the stores to myself.
 
Not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, with restaurants, bars, and lots of entertainment closed, it can be pretty boring. Movies and shopping opportunities give folks something to do I suppose. Personally, I (my family) don't (doesn't) "celebrate" Easter outside of an excuse to go to the big local cc brunch buffet. The rest of the day is low key whether you want it to be or not. I can always be happy with a book, but it can be boring. So, I think that's a big part of it.

BTW: Starbucks was open today! My family and I had a blast getting a coffee today, it seemed special even though it's something we all do often.
 
Not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, with restaurants, bars, and lots of entertainment closed, it can be pretty boring. Movies and shopping opportunities give folks something to do I suppose. Personally, I (my family) don't (doesn't) "celebrate" Easter outside of an excuse to go to the big local cc brunch buffet. The rest of the day is low key whether you want it to be or not. I can always be happy with a book, but it can be boring. So, I think that's a big part of it.

BTW: Starbucks was open today! My family and I had a blast getting a coffee today, it seemed special even though it's something we all do often.

So, because you (your family) have (has) trouble entertaining yourself (yourselves), other people should have to give up time with their families entertain you? I know you didn't mean it quite like that, but something about your post just rubs me the wrong way.

Yes, I know that the argument is always that families can schedule their meal around someone's schedule, but what happens when more than one family member has to work on Thanksgiving and their schedules are opposite one another? And there's always the argument that, well, some people truly have to work (police, medical staff, etc.), so what's the problem with other people working? My answer is that there is a difference between needs and wants. People need EMTs to respond to a medical emergency, they want to go to the movies. To be fair, I'm not saying that I've never taken advantage of non-essential places being open on a holiday once in a while, but I feel guilty and would actually be content if they were closed.
 
Actually blame the people that shop. If they didn't show up to the stores the stores wouldn't stay open on the holiday.

And I really don't want the government deciding when the stores can be open.

Times 100!!! I do not shop on Thanksgiving Day, and I skip Black Friday as well. If people really feels so strongly about stores remaining closed on Thanksgiving Day they could change it with one action. Stay home. No store will open if they have no customers.

Lawmakers have no business dictating to retailers. Every time the fiddle around with something the issue becomes even more problematic.

I used to be a mall shopper. I could spend an entire day there. What started happening about 10-12 years ago is I’d go in looking for something and they’d tell me, “You have to go to our online store for that.” I’d ask if they would order it for me and once again they’d tell me to go online. This was long before Prime and two day shipping. Amazon was *just* starting to gain a foothold. So I’d leave mad without what I came for and not too keen on shopping those particular stores when they pretty much turned me away. Grudgingly I’d look at the store online, see high shipping fees and a 10-14 day delivery estimate for something I wanted TODAY. Then I’d check out Amazon. Oh look, if my order is over $25 shipping is free and I’ll get it in 3-5 days. Check this out, no (at the time) taxes! After so many times, I just started going to Amazon. From my point of view those stores pushed me right into Amazon’s arms. They were far too late to the game IMO.

I was just saying this the other day. Brick and mortar stores have been shot in the foot with this practice. When a sale is not honored instore, there is an issue. If I shop online I buy just what I set out to purchase. If I am in store I may buy additional items that peak my interest.

So, because you (your family) have (has) trouble entertaining yourself (yourselves), other people should have to give up time with their families entertain you? I know you didn't mean it quite like that, but something about your post just rubs me the wrong way.

Yes, I know that the argument is always that families can schedule their meal around someone's schedule, but what happens when more than one family member has to work on Thanksgiving and their schedules are opposite one another? And there's always the argument that, well, some people truly have to work (police, medical staff, etc.), so what's the problem with other people working? My answer is that there is a difference between needs and wants. People need EMTs to respond to a medical emergency, they want to go to the movies. To be fair, I'm not saying that I've never taken advantage of non-essential places being open on a holiday once in a while, but I feel guilty and would actually be content if they were closed.

Oh please, the poster did nto indicate that her family could not entertain themselves. She said that not everyone celebrates holidays and it is nice when there are options. I sympathize with the employees in retail stores who are now making changes in how they celebrate due to changes in how their customers shop, but I am confused in a way. Movie theaters have been open on Christmas and Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember and I have never heard people feeling badly for them. I can rememebr that over 20 years ago I made a call to my CC company on CHristmas night and their customer service department was working...and they had not been outsourced. My son worked on Christmas Day and Thanksgiving Day for years in a communications call center. He used to volunteer to work on Christmas morning so someone with kids could be be home at that time, but that was his choice due to his seniority.



There has always been a silent group of "nonessential" people who work on major holidays here in the States, and no one was irritated in their behalf.
 
So, because you (your family) have (has) trouble entertaining yourself (yourselves), other people should have to give up time with their families entertain you? I know you didn't mean it quite like that, but something about your post just rubs me the wrong way.

Yes, I know that the argument is always that families can schedule their meal around someone's schedule, but what happens when more than one family member has to work on Thanksgiving and their schedules are opposite one another? And there's always the argument that, well, some people truly have to work (police, medical staff, etc.), so what's the problem with other people working? My answer is that there is a difference between needs and wants. People need EMTs to respond to a medical emergency, they want to go to the movies. To be fair, I'm not saying that I've never taken advantage of non-essential places being open on a holiday once in a while, but I feel guilty and would actually be content if they were closed.
I really thought the DIS finally went a year without this argument. People have been working the holidays long before shopping was a thing on Thanksgiving. I can only remember a handful of times my dad (a Chef) was home on the actual holiday and often when he was he’d get called in. My DH and DD both worked yesterday and were happy to do so because it means more $$$ on their paycheck. We made it work. The holidays are what you make of them. I think if people were really honest with themselves they’d admit that their concern isn’t really for those “poor retail workers” but more about how it affects their celebration and schedule. When I was a kid, the church my mother went to had a “no work on Sunday” rule. We’d literally sit around in the dark doing nothing. No power or gas use, no hot meal, no TV. Nothing that would make anyone work. I always think of those days when this argument starts. I’d lay down good money to bet most people who make it aren’t willing to do that. And it wouldn’t make a difference if they were because those people have to work anyway.
 
Lawmakers have no business dictating to retailers. Every time the fiddle around with something the issue becomes even more problematic.

So then you're saying legislators should never have legalized holiday/Sunday retail hours in the first place.

Wikipedia: "Blue laws may also prohibit retail activity on days other than Sunday. In Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine(which was previously part of Massachusetts),[24] for example, blue laws prohibit most retail stores, including grocery stores, from opening on Thanksgiving and Christmas.[25]"

Not new. Possibly centuries old, given that Maine has been its own state since 1820.
 
So then you're saying legislators should never have legalized holiday/Sunday retail hours in the first place.

I imagine that isn't what the poster is saying at all.. You realize if something had to be legalized then legislators first had to make it illegal. If they didn't do that in the first place, there wouldn't have been a need for action.
 

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