Please Do You Have to Shop Thanksgiving Day?

It's truly disgusting and feel horrible for all the families that wont get to be together much or any of Thanksgiving Day out of desperation or need of their jobs.

It's so sad.
I refuse to shop Thanksgiving Day or the weekend after, including Black Friday.
I hate that people don't all get a nice long weekend with their families, instead people are out serving corporate greed, consumption, and materialism.

And that goes for the people that have to work and the ones that have loved ones ditching them for a sale.

If working on Thanksgiving was VOLUNTARY, I wouldn't have a problem with it. But, the fact is, most major retailers who are open on Thanksgiving tell their employees that they have to work or be fired. This is the case for both of my in-laws who work at Walgreens and Walmart. They won't be able to see their families this Thanksgiving. They both requested the day off several months ago so they could come visit us, but were told no vacation requests would be honored. Nice.

Nope, I will not be shopping on Thanksgiving and will not do my Christmas shopping at any of the retailers who are opening earlier than 5 am.

Did you know a lot of retailers pay time and a half for working black Friday sales? So maybe the sale people WANT to do it...personally I wouldnt shop it anyways but it's because i don't like the crowds...
Added: most of the sales start at midnight who is spending time with family at MIDNIGHT?! Not me I'm sleeping! I'm sorry but I don't see the big deal

I look at it differently yeah I feel bad for the people who are working but some of those people are having a hard time making ends met so working on Thanksgiving will give them a little extra money. For those that don't have a family to spend the holiday with at least they can spend some of the day with people and not alone. For those of us out there struggling to make ends met need to find a deal when you can to save money to make sure our kids have a good Christmas. Plus if you really think about it most of the Holiday celebrating is over by the time stores are opening. I hope everybody has a great holiday season!

I am with you. I think it is terrible that retail workers have to leave their families for SHOPPING. It is understandable that doctors, firefighters, police, emt workers have to work, but working on Thanksgiving to SHOP!!! It is crazy to me and unfair. Family time is precious and should be treated as such. It's like Thanksgiving does't count!! Don't you all feel family traditions are becoming almost non existent??? It is difficult to keep them going with our crazy busy lives as they are, and now SHOPPING on Thanksgiving day!! it is just wrong!!

oooh S. - I make a concentrated effort to NOT venture out on Black Friday or that weekend.

The mad rushes are just ridiculous...

It'll matter if people don't shop that day because corporations are all about the bottom line. If they spend more money paying workers to man cash registers than they make in profit from the day's sales... they'll scrap this as a failed experiment and not do it again next year.

As someone who worked retail last year during the holiday insanity, I just have to say, S.... I love you. <3

Did you know that every day that I came into work we'd have a little employee huddle where the managers would come down with clipboards and rattle off how much the store pulled in every day and how much our "goals" were? They were talking in the millions. Every day. Here we are making minimum wage talking about all the millions that flowed through this big box store every, single, day... and pushing us to sell more More MORE. And in a sing-song voice would bleat out, "If we don't make our figures we have to cut hoooours!" Big smile. Then hustle us out the doors.

Taking over holidays now? That's just plain greedy. Don't encourage bad behavior. Stay home or shop online! Your order will go in a queue and get shipped out on the next available work day.

I had to work many a Thanksgiving and Christmas eve in the restaurant industry. I also work some on Christmas Day at my current 8-5 IT job ( it's the only time that maintenance can easily be done). Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. :(
Sure there are people who have to work on holidays and may not be happy about it. But I used to make a killing waiting tables on holidays, and I needed the money. Many of these people are getting time and a half by working on a holiday, and they need the extra $$, also. I think it's very sweet of you though to care.

You can count me out as one of the early shoppers. I never have and never will be one to line up for a mass rush into a store for anything like that.

No problem with Walmart.... I boycott them anyway and have for years. I go out of my way to never step foot in one of those stores.

My daughter is 16 and her bf is 18. She is going to visit bf's family for Thanksgiving dinner at 1pm about 2 hrs away (with traffic it will be more) and her bf has to be at work by 8pm Thanksgiving to set up and work until 5:30am Friday morning. he gets a few hours break and is back at the store by Friday noon for another 8 hr shift.

I completely understand the people who work on the holidays such as our health care workers, fire, police and I appreciate the sacrifices they make to keep us safe but it is not a necessity for retail workers who don't get paid well to work their tails off and miss being with their family even if just for a few precious hours.

I like to leisurely shop for friends and family and I stay out of the mad rush of people. I don't even set foot in a mall during November and December.

Quick-- Edit and make it a question or they'll remove the post!

I could NOT believe that DOLLAR TREE is going to be open 8-4 Thanksgiving Day! WHAT in the WORLD can DOLLAR TREE possiblyy have that you would need ON Thanksgiving?????

It won't much matter if people shop that day or not. Corporations will do what they do, even when it makes zero sense.

My worst thanksgiving ever was when I was 16 and worked at Wendy's. It was about zero that day with wind chills of 15-20 below. It had rained the day before, turning into a solid sheet of ice. No one was out. They made us keep the place open all day long and we had 3 customers all day. They made us clean the whole day. It was long, cold, and boring. The heater in the store could not keep up. My toes were frozen, my hands were in water all day so they were chapped and bleeding and so cold that I was clumsy and dropping everything. There was only 3 of us in the store employee wise. They sent a couple people home early and the rest of us were forced to ride it out. And we did all that for the overtime which in 1984 would have been about 5 dollars an hour WITH the time and a half.

I'm with you! I'm not only boycotting those sales, I'm boycotting the stores that are opening early. I will not do any shopping at them anymore, even during normal hours. And I've written to them to tell them that. I think it's ridiculous that retail workers are being forced to give up their holiday to work all night long, and that extra police will be working on the holiday not for regular duties but to provide security at these stores so that there's no trampling!

Firefighters, police, essential health care workers may have to take shifts on holidays, but we could make their job easier by staying home with our own families and not causing traffic problems!

I read a letter in the paper from a single mom who works at a fast food restaurant - she has been told by her boss that she must work Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. She makes just above minimum wage but is afraid to lose her job by refusing to work some of those days. What's wrong with our culture?

I'm going to be the dissenter here, but I think there are many who would disagree. There are a lot of people out there who don't care about Thanksgiving. A lot of people don't have families and probably even more don't like their families. I know a lot of people who go to family get-togethers because they are guilted into going, not because they truly want to spend the day with them. Last year, after many years of having untradtional Thanksgivings, we went to my MILs. The day turned into a screaming match, literally, and I couldn't get my daughter out of there fast enough. So this year, back to the unconventional as we will be at the zoo for the day.

I won't be at the stores Thursday or Friday because I don't have anything to buy, and personally think it's kind of ridiculous. However, I won't assume that everyone who is working is upset about it or cares that they aren't spending time with family. I spend quality time with family all year round, I don't need an assigned day to tell me to be thankful. I'm thankful 365 days a year.

Wow, it's just getting worse and worse. I'm unhappy to hear this. Where's the spirit in the holiday season? It's too greedy like from store owner's to push this upon their employees. Corporate world! What's next?

It makes me sad. I feel as though Black Friday is a thing of the past. Walmart is opening at 10:00 PM on Thursday at our house, other stores and malls are opening at midnight, but some are still following the 5:00 AM Friday morning. I do a big Thanksgiving at my house every year. I can't stay awake all night so I have to make a choice......do I go late at night or early in the morning. It has just gotten stupid. What was wrong with everyone doing 5 AM on Friday. I also noticed that most of the "deals" stink this year! I might just skip it all together. Yet another tradition gone. :(

I agree.
I refuse to be a puppet to marketing hype (I work in marketing/adv.) so I will not be shopping on Thanksgiving OR Black Friday.
Usually, I'm not mentally ready to start my shopping until after Dec 1st anyway....so.....no consumerist culture going on here!

I dont go shopping on holidays, so you dont have to worry about me. Holidays are chill days for me. I dont even like to travel if I dont absolutely have to, don't want to be a part of the holiday traffic statistics either.

I wonder if they are going to find it's worth their while. I wonder if enough people are going to be out shopping at that time anyway - I'd think the Internet shopping has really cut into the store front sales, so they're trying last ditch efforts to keep the numbers up.

ETA: All this talk of not shopping Thanksgiving night makes me wonder why people don't get as upset about stores being open on Sundays. Sundays are the original family/slow down day, but now everything is open and nobody minds that. I guess I just can't get that worked up about people having to go into work. My husband's a firefighter and I was a nurse when I worked outside the home, so we've had to flex holidays for years.

As far as the poster that said those working on Thanksgiving will make some extra money, it doesn't always work that way...

Most retailers keep associates to a STRICT 40 hour maximum, except under certain circumstances. It is doubtful that they will be making any overtime... their days off will just be on other days. I worked at Walmart for 5 years..... they didn't want to pay overtime! We did get some overtime around Inventory, but that was rare.....

Amen - we will never shop on a holiday unless it is a true emergency (ie urgent medicine at a pharmacy) and I am appalled at how the stores have crept into Thanksgiving like this. This year we are missing part of our family at Thanksgiving dinner because someone has to work all night to get ready for Friday, so I'm not even a big fan of Black Friday either right now. :-( We who agree should be spreading this by Facebook, etc, too...

I used to work at Steak and Ale and was required to work on Thanksgiving every year. I made no more on that day than any other day and even when we were BROKE, I would have still prefered to have that day off.
I get that gas stations and grocery stores need to be open until at least noon in case you forgot something important (my mom has worked at Kroger for 25 years), but I will not be doing any shopping this weekend at all. These poor people have to sleep all day on Thanksgiving just to be able to show up at 9m to work all night. So sad...

I abhor the shopping frenzy on Thanksgiving and black Friday. I prefer to sleep in ...and enjoy the lazy days with my family.

Also, we choose to follow the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy and don't spend the day shopping or going to restaurants. Just another way we don't let marketing,consumerism,poor planning or entertainment sway our convictions.

Good luck and best wishes.

Im not one that has to start my shopping on Thursday but if there is a deal that can help me save money Im there. I will be out at 10pm to get a deal for a Ps3 for my husband and kids. I couldnt afford it otherwise and its something they all want. I grab that one item and I am out, I dont run store to store and am out all morning long. But the husband and I will be out later Friday afternoon when all the major crazies are back home in bed. Its a tradition that my dad takes the kids Thanksgiving night and keeps them till Sunday night so we have time to get our kids done.
When you work retail you take the chance that you gotta work holidays. Its the same for people who not only work in the medical field but also people who work at gas stations. Should we make everyone fill up on Wednesday so they can stay with their families on Thanksgiving? Yes the stores make a big deal out of Black Friday but this starts the Christmas shopping season. Myself I start shopping for Christmas the week after Christmas. Maybe if people didnt wait till last minute this wouldnt be such a big deal.

NO KIDDING!!!! I totally agree.

Thanksgiving should focus on being w/loved ones. Over my dead body I am going to show my family how much I love they by being gone half the night just so I can get 50% off something. If that is the only way they know I love them, then something is wrong with me.

I get into Black Friday shopping....but on FRIDAY...and that's if I really really need to get something on discount, which is usually never b/c I clip coupons and shop bargains throughout the year.

I'll be home, snuggled up w/friends and family all day Thursday from that day's oink-fest, I'm sure.

I hate to shop, so I stay home when I know there will be insane crowds. I do as much of my holiday shopping online as possible.
I hated working holidays when I worked retail, but the store's concern is how to make the most money, and that's the bottom line on all their decisions. If you work retail or food service, you WILL have to work some holidays.
I used to work at an animal hospital, and I was the one who had to go in every Sunday and every holiday when the hospital was closed, and take care of the animals - walk dogs, clean cages, give meds and food, etc. I didn't get paid extra for those days either.
My daughter works at an emergency animal hospital that is open 24/7/365. She has worked every holiday since she started there, and gets time and a half for holidays, so she volunteers for them.
My brother in law is a barge inspector, and often has to work holidays.
We simply reschedule our celebrations for days when everyone is off work.

Well, one Thanksgiving I had no family to be with and was grateful that Walgreens was open and I was able to get out of the house and do something.

One poster talked about the millions the retail store made everyday during christmas, but instead of being mad that they weren't making millions, did the employees think about the multi-million in inventory the store had waiting to be sold. I don't think the tactic was right that the employer used but I also don't think employees always see the whole picture.

And for the poster who said "shop online", there are actual people that put together your orders when you shop online.

I don't hear many people complaining about restaurants being open on holidays. When I waited tables in college, I had to work pretty much EVERY holiday. My job didn't pay me any more to work the holiday. Tips didn't seem to be much better either. Seriously, how many people HAVE to go out to eat on the holiday? My guess is not many. Some jobs just mean that you WILL be working holidays. Yes, it sucks. This was one of my motivators to finish college so that I could get a better job.

I agree that the shopping thing is completely out of control. To me the holidays are not about shopping but rather my family and friends. There are no gifts I need to go shopping for on Thanksgiving day that I can't buy at another time. I am even willing to pay the extra if I have to. I will definitely not be shopping on Thanksgiving day and on Black Friday I will be at my job rather than fighting the crowds. I don't work retail but rather for healthcare and therefore I work on Black Friday.

Toys R Us is doing the same thing.
Actually, quite a few online stores have started their Black Friday sales as of yesterday.
So I can shop sales online and never venture a foot outside my front door unless I want to.