Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks and spend time with our families, but that dynamic has changed in recent years due to the day that comes after Thanksgiving — Black Friday. Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, and a fight can break out in a Walmart parking lot simply over a 50-percent-off TV.
I’ve always thought it’s odd that Black Friday comes right after a day dedicated to remembering all the fantastic blessings in our life. Black Friday has historically started at 6 a.m.; but as the retail world changes, Black Friday hours, too, have changed accordingly. Most stores have started opening at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, and they ask workers to come in early and skip out on Thanksgiving dinner with their families. Also, family members are now leaving Thanksgiving dinner early to hit the mall all night.
The holiday season is meant to be spent laughing and reminiscing with loved ones, not scourging for the best deals in a crowded mall. Some stores are starting to get that and have started to close their doors not only on Thanksgiving Day but also Black Friday.
REI, a popular outdoor retailer, closed its doors for both Thanksgiving and Black Friday this year, marking their third consecutive year in this initiative. They started a campaign that urges their workers and shoppers to get outside and enjoy time with their families. This initiative was so successful that, when they re-opened their stores, they saw a huge spike in sales — bigger than they’ve experienced in the past.
By closing their doors on Thanksgiving, retailers connect with their customers on a personal level: customers respect the stand businesses take to encourage people to spend time with their families. Because of this, customers tend to respect the retailer more and will give them their business when the store opens back up.
Although Thanksgiving has passed this year, when next year comes around, think about holding back on shopping during Thanksgiving night to spend a little extra time with your family laughing about how full you are from that turkey coma — save the crazy shopping day for Friday and the rest of December. You might regret that sweater you bought on impulse because it seemed like a really great deal in the heat of the moment, but you will never regret extra moments spent with your family.
If you’re looking to support retailers that don’t open on Thanksgiving, here are some of the more popular stores that close their doors on Black Friday:
Happy holidays, collegiates!