How Will You Spend Black Friday?
Doing this?
Hmm..
Black Friday is coming up and for some of this means it is time to prepare for an extra long day of hectic shopping. While many stores value this holiday as the most profitable day of the year, one is seeing it as the opposite. REI, an athletic and outdoor retail chain is trying something new- closing all of their stores on Black Friday (November 27, 2015).
This act is not a selfish one for REI. Financially, they will be making less money. They are choosing to close on one of the most profitable days of the year. So, Why? REI is trying to make a statement. Instead of bringing out the crazy, greedy side in all of us, REI wants to encourage us to bring out our outdoorsy side. In fact, they are paying their workers for a day off. REI wants people to go out side, get some fresh air and exercise, and enjoy the outdoors. They are encouraging those who spend the day outside rather than in an over-crowded, sweaty, essentially dangerous, shopping center to post pictures using the hashtag #OptOutside.
In a country where obesity is a growing concern, this idea is somewhat revolutionary. Society in the U.S. has become so concerned with getting the best bargains that they have forgotten what they should really be thankful for. After a long day of stuffing our faces with a large thanksgiving dinner, what better way is there to feel better than by stepping outside to enjoy a bit of nature? After all, there’s always Cyber Monday, which can be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home…
What many people don’t know is that REI is a company built upon the wants and needs of its real customers. REI believes that being outside is best for you, and they are opting to pay its employees to go outside on Black Friday. It couldn’t hurt if you head outside too.
More information can be found on REI’s website, which has made a link specifically for the #OptOutside campaign: