Many Stores Now Staying Open on Thanksgiving. What are “Holidays” to you?

By: Don Caldwell


How important are “Holidays”?


Numerous companies are expanding their shopping hours closer and closer into “Holiday” territory. No longer is it just “Black Friday”, but now even runs into Thanksgiving itself….

Excerpts italicized:

For Anthony Hardwick, Thanksgiving has special meaning. Last year, he proposed to his girlfriend, Denise, in front of her whole family during the holiday.


This year though, he will be working. A part-time employee at Target in Omaha, Neb., Hardwick said his manager requested he start his shift at 11 p.m. In order to make it through the night, he'll need to sleep on Thanksgiving Day.


This year marks Target'searliest opening ever. Target, Best Buy, Macy's and Kohl's are all opening at midnight on Thanksgiving eve. Wal-Mart recently announced plans to open its doors to the public at 10 p.m. then Toys R Us followed suit, announcing it would open most stores as early as 9 p.m. the day before Black Friday.


"We have heard from our guests that they want to shop following their Thanksgiving celebrations rather than only having the option of getting up in the middle of the night," Target said in a statement. "Target will offer holiday pay to all hourly team members who work on Thanksgiving Day."


Thanksgiving Day openings have been a boon to retailers during the economic downturn. The number of people who shop on Thanksgiving -- both online and in stores -- rose to 22.3 million in 2010, about double the amount just five years earlier, according to the National Retail Federation.
Last year, the number of people who began their Black Friday shopping at midnight was triple the amount in 2009.


It is easy to blame the companies for their continual push to make profit, but we (consumers) are the ones who have drastically increased the amount of time and money spent on shopping on Thanksgiving.


We can give many reasons as to why some choose to shop on one of our most important holidays (good deals, the crowds, time away from the family..lol), but what does this say about the value of this “family” holiday to each of us? Can we cherish of “family” time and yet give shopping of most precious resource….our time?


What would it take for this to stop?


And once retailers firmly practice the habit of being open on thanksgiving, what will happen to that holiday?


Will Christmas be next???


What is a “Holiday”…to you?

(ORIGINAL LINK) Black Friday backlash: Early openings a mixed blessing - Yahoo! Finance