Shopping on Black Friday is one of my family’s longest standing traditions, the only bonding experience greater than waiting in line at the mall Starbucks at 4 am was when we camped in the Grand Canyon for 10 days…and that’s mostly because the only way out was via river. I love everything about Black Friday; being out before the sun, Christmas music playing in the stores, planning my holiday gifts, I relish in the moment.
The only thing that I love more than being out on Black Friday are stores that ARE CLOSED ON THANKSGIVING. Black Friday sales are now available as early as 6 AM on Thanksgiving….which is on a Thursday, in case you didn’t know. It’s called Black Friday for a reason, the main one being it’s on FRIDAY, Black Friday sales that happen on a Thursday make about as much sense as Amanda Bynes’ tweets.A company memo from Radio Shack about their decision to open on Thanksgiving this year read, “Last year, we left a lot of opportunity on the table on Thanksgiving and Black Friday because of our reduced opening hours.” I get it, you’re a business, you need to stay competitive and being open on Thanksgiving will give you more opportunities to make money but honestly, let’s prioritize here and think about the opportunities you’re giving up. Like, the opportunity to have a fourth helping of stuffing and pop the button off of your pants. Or maybe the opportunity for your employees to spend one day out of the year with their family and friends. What about those opportunities Radio Shack? There are 364 days out of the year that you can have sales and make money but only 1 day out of the year that is dedicated to being surrounded by family and friends, eating enough that you need to break out the drawstring sweatpants and do it without any shame. Seems to me like there’s really only one opportunity you’re missing out on Radio Shack, and it isn’t getting people into your stores on November 27th.
It’s not just Radio Shack, tons of CEO’s of huge stores have decided to open on Thanksgiving but they’re not the ones missing out on pumpkin pie because they’re ringing up someone’s new Xbox. The people who are sacrificing are the employees that might be working two or even three minimum wage jobs just to put food on their table and keep a roof over their head for the other 364 days out of the year. America is constantly consumed by the latest iPhone, the newest bag and the expensive flat-screen TV, material possessions that we’ve let become the important things in life. If nothing else, Thanksgiving is the one day that Americans should be consumed with all of the “little” things in life that we take for granted; a family that loves and supports you, food on the table every night, a warm place to sleep and most importantly good health. The materialistic madness can continue on November 28th but let’s spend a mere 24 hours reflecting on all of the “little” things in life that used to be the things that mattered, the things in life that you can’t find at a discounted price. After all, it is Thanksgiving and out of all the great things in your life, “my new TV” isn’t going to cut it when you’re at the dinner table and have to say what you’re thankful for.
Check out all the stores that believe “Family Trumps Money.”
