These Holiday sales were part of my life for the last 30 years. When I started in retail, stores normally opened at 9:00 and would open early at 8:00 a.m. and then 7:00 a.m. on Friday after Thanksgiving for the sale. After a few years stores began to open even earlier at 6:00 a.m. and industry wide that was pretty much the norm for 10 to 15 years. Then as different competitors looking for an edge started opening earlier everyone else followed.

 

KMart several years ago first started running a big ad on Thanksgiving afternoon, due to the fact that they could not compete for customers going head to head with Target, Meijer, Walmart and others. That was fine and no one else really reacted and KMart had Thanksgiving after noon all to themselves for several years. Other stores were open but were not running "Door Buster" sales on Thursday.

 

Then Best Buy and Toy-r-us had sales that started at 5 a.m. on Friday then they moved to 4 a.m. and then to midnight Thursday. When they started everyone else followed or jumped ahead of them. Last year most sales started at 8 p.m. or 10 p.m. and now this year sales at many start even earlier.

 

I remember the old days when Walmart and KMart were open 9-9 Mon-Sat and 1-6 on Sunday. Customer demand led to stores expanding their hours to the point that many are now open 24 hours a day.

 

Many have went on social media over the last week or so complaining that they have to work on Thanksgiving at the various retailers and lose time with their family on Thanksgiving.

 

At this point I don't see any company willfully stopping their "Sales" and giving up business to their competitors. So here is the $20,000 question...Should "Blue Laws" be put in place to limit these kinds of activities and sales on Federal Holidays? Because that is the only way it will ever stop. Left unchecked the old "Black Friday 5 a.m." sale will end up taking up all day on Thanksgiving day.

I don't think it should be regulated. If you want to get the big deals for the holidays, you'll go shopping whenever you need to in order to get it done. Whether it be Thursday or Friday, there will always be people that will stand in ridiculous lines for the hot deals.

 

I've never been Black Friday shopping, and don't intend on ever doing it.

These Holiday sales were part of my life for the last 30 years. When I started in retail, stores normally opened at 9:00 and would open early at 8:00 a.m. and then 7:00 a.m. on Friday after Thanksgiving for the sale. After a few years stores began to open even earlier at 6:00 a.m. and industry wide that was pretty much the norm for 10 to 15 years. Then as different competitors looking for an edge started opening earlier everyone else followed.

 

KMart several years ago first started running a big ad on Thanksgiving afternoon, due to the fact that they could not compete for customers going head to head with Target, Meijer, Walmart and others. That was fine and no one else really reacted and KMart had Thanksgiving after noon all to themselves for several years. Other stores were open but were not running "Door Buster" sales on Thursday.

 

Then Best Buy and Toy-r-us had sales that started at 5 a.m. on Friday then they moved to 4 a.m. and then to midnight Thursday. When they started everyone else followed or jumped ahead of them. Last year most sales started at 8 p.m. or 10 p.m. and now this year sales at many start even earlier.

 

I remember the old days when Walmart and KMart were open 9-9 Mon-Sat and 1-6 on Sunday. Customer demand led to stores expanding their hours to the point that many are now open 24 hours a day.

 

Many have went on social media over the last week or so complaining that they have to work on Thanksgiving at the various retailers and lose time with their family on Thanksgiving.

 

At this point I don't see any company willfully stopping their "Sales" and giving up business to their competitors. So here is the $20,000 question...Should "Blue Laws" be put in place to limit these kinds of activities and sales on Federal Holidays? Because that is the only way it will ever stop. Left unchecked the old "Black Friday 5 a.m." sale will end up taking up all day on Thanksgiving day.

 

Is this a serious question?

I don't think it should be regulated. If you want to get the big deals for the holidays, you'll go shopping whenever you need to in order to get it done. Whether it be Thursday or Friday, there will always be people that will stand in ridiculous lines for the hot deals.

 

Agreed.

This isn't communist Russia, this is America. Business is allowed to function as they see fit thankfully.

 

Seriously though, I'm with woodsrider, this can't be a serious question, can it?

They can't be stopped but wish they would leave Thanksgiving day alone as far as Black Friday Sales.

Sure why not a serious question. Every year people complain (on here and on social media) about the early opening of the stores or the inconvenience of having to leave family to either shop or work on Thanksgiving. The only way to stop it for those that complain about it would be with Blue Laws. There was a time not long ago where many states and cities had laws against retail sales on Sunday of any kind.

Sure why not a serious question. Every year people complain (on here and on social media) about the early opening of the stores or the inconvenience of having to leave family to either shop or work on Thanksgiving. The only way to stop it for those that complain about it would be with Blue Laws. There was a time not long ago where many states and cities had laws against retail sales on Sunday of any kind.

 

only way to stop it is by the customers stop going. That is not going to happen.

So if we don't want to legislate it out, then no one will be complaining about it anymore...right?

Sure why not a serious question. Every year people complain (on here and on social media) about the early opening of the stores or the inconvenience of having to leave family to either shop or work on Thanksgiving. The only way to stop it for those that complain about it would be with Blue Laws. There was a time not long ago where many states and cities had laws against retail sales on Sunday of any kind.

 

If people really cared to spend the time with family, they wouldn't leave early to catch a sale as you say. You know going in, if you have a retail job, that you have to work specific times, including holidays. If you don't like it, don't work at those places. Should we also put laws in place so those in the medical profession (doctors, nurses, etc) can be off on holidays?

I don't recall anyone ever really complaining about it on here. :idunno:

If people really cared to spend the time with family, they wouldn't leave early to catch a sale as you say. You know going in, if you have a retail job, that you have to work specific times, including holidays. If you don't like it, don't work at those places. Should we also put laws in place so those in the medical profession (doctors, nurses, etc) can be off on holidays?

Nobody complains about hospitals being open...but everyone seems to be appalled that Target, Best Buy, Walmart are open and forcing their employees to work. They leave family early to get little Johnny or little Susie that special gift that is limited in quantity (PS4) or at a huge savings (Beats Headphones) because they do care for their family and want to get them what they want for Christmas.

I don't recall anyone ever really complaining about it on here. :idunno:

Seems that every year in a thread it will come up as to how greedy stores are that make their employees work on holidays like Thanksgiving.

So if we don't want to legislate it out, then no one will be complaining about it anymore...right?

 

Of course some people will be complaining about it but we live in a (supposedly) free society that (supposedly) believes in limited goverment interference in our lives. And while there may be some things that such freedoms may irritate us, the freedom we enjoy outweighs that. There is absolutely NO WAY to make everyone happy so you just try to do the best we can.

 

 

The best way to solve this is for society to act and to NOT shop till more reasonable hours even if that means you will not get the best deals by the time you get there. Does this mean everyone will do so? No, but hopefully enough to get through to retailers.

Sure why not a serious question. Every year people complain (on here and on social media) about the early opening of the stores or the inconvenience of having to leave family to either shop or work on Thanksgiving. The only way to stop it for those that complain about it would be with Blue Laws. There was a time not long ago where many states and cities had laws against retail sales on Sunday of any kind.

I had really hoped that it wasn't serious but since it is I will try to give my opinion.

 

In short, NO, we should not have laws against it. If you don't want to shop on Thanksgiving then don't. If you don't want to work on Thanksgiving then don't. And to say everyone is appalled just isn't true. I couldn't give a rats butt if you have to work on a holiday. Nor do I have any intentions of standing in a line to get in best buy in hopes I get 1 of the 2 of the 60" tvs they have on sale for $1.99. And it's asinine to even entertain the thought that laws should be passed to stop retail businesses from opening when ever the heck they please.