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How Early is Too Early for Stores to Open on Black Friday?

Sears and Walmart plan to open at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, while Target plans a 9 p.m. opening.

 

Retail workers and shoppers are once again pushing stores to stay closed on Thanksgiving Day instead of starting Black Friday on Thursday, as many plan to do.

As previously reported by Patch, Target will launch its Black Friday sale at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, while Sears and Walmart have announced plans to open at 8 p.m. Meanwhile, Best Buy is continuing the midnight openings it started last year.

Critics say Thanksgiving Day openings prevent employees from spending the holiday with their families. Opposition is growing on online petition website Change.org. “C Renee,” a woman who says she’s been a Target employee for six years, started a petition asking the retailer to “give Thanksgiving back to families and not open on Thanksgiving evening.”

“I have worked at Target for six years and I really enjoy my job,” she wrote. “Thanksgiving, though, is one of the three days us retail workers get off a year: a day most all of us spend with family we only get to see on that day.”

The petition so far has more than 150,000 signatures.

The signatures don’t appear to have had much effect. Last year, more than 200,000 people signed another petition from a Target employee.

But what do you think? Should stores open on Thanksgiving Day? Should they open early on Black Friday? Or should they just stick to regular store hours?

Vote in Patch’s poll and then share your thoughts in the comments below.

  • Should Black Friday deals start on Thanksgiving Day?

    (Voting has been closed for this question)
    • Yes. It makes shopping easier.
        0 (0%)
    • No. Employees should have time to spend with their families, too.
        7 (100%)
    • Stores should've even open early on Black Friday.
        0 (0%)
    Total votes: 7
  • Your vote will only count once. This is not a scientific poll. View Results Vote!
Related Topics: Best Buy, Black Friday, Business, Sears, Shopping, Target, Thanksgiving 2012, Walmart, and store hours

Kirsten

12:36 pm on Tuesday, November 13, 2012

I feel sorry for people that have to work Thanksgiving night and would rather be with their families. I won't even shop that night, or early Friday morning. I don't get quite as caught up in the whole commercial aspect of the holidays as some people do.

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Caitlin Burgess

12:45 pm on Tuesday, November 13, 2012

As a person who worked retail in a former life, working on holidays is no fun. While I would have loved not to work Black Friday, it was fun seeing the holidays kick off. It put me in a good mood. But, still, the longest days ever!

Brad Dimond

7:16 am on Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Vote with your checkbook, if you are opposed to Thanksgiving store openings don't shop! Retailers follow the money in a big way.

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Jennifer

8:25 am on Wednesday, November 14, 2012

This whole Black Friday thing has become a ridiculous competition between stores to see who is opening the earliest and/or staying open the longest. It's crazy. Is it going to be Black Thursday now? Nevermind all those that then have to work those crazy shifts. Can't America take a break from consumerism for just one full day?

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