It’s been happening for the last 3 years. Stores fight to get customers in the door before the other opens. Sales have moved from 5am to 3 am to 12am to 10pm on Thursday but this year Walmart has decided to start it’s “Black Friday” sale at 8pm on Thursday. Thanksgiving.
They will require it’s employees to be there for set up, stocking, cashiers and security. To be away from their families on Thanksgiving. Long before the event starts at 8pm. Don’t get me wrong, I love a great deal. I love their layaway and the price matching but this is ridiculous!
I won’t be shopping at Walmart this year for “Black Friday” simply because I’d rather spend it with my family. I love the Black Friday rush but I think I will be getting it somewhere else this year. Well after my kids are tucked into bed and the left overs are in the fridge. With coffee in my hand.
I hope that consumers and employees stand up for themselves and let Walmart know how they feel. I did on their Facebook page. Here is the link in case you want to add your voice to it!
Other Stores opening on Thanksgiving:
Kmart 8pm
With a Thanksgiving sale as well
Sears 8pm
Walgreens Thanksgiving sale All day
Michael’s 4pm!
Lowes 12am Thanksgiving day
Target 9pm
ToysRUs 8pm
**UPDATE**
I was asked to speak about this issue on the the CBS Philadelphia Talk 1210 station the other day.
I’ve also received great responses to not only the Walmart Facebook post but this post as well. Here is an email from a reader that just broke my heart. Glad she let me share it with you! These companies need to get a clue!
I worked at Micheals before becoming a SAHM and last year we were open on Thanksgiving at 4pm. It was volunteer scheduling but they didn’t have enough people that wanted to be there so they scheduled people anyway. I was one of them. I was 8 1/2 months pregnant and I rode the city bus to and from work. My boss was very aware of these facts but scheduled me anyway. Because the bus was on a holiday schedule I would have had to leave for work at 2 pm in order to get to work early rather than late. When I told him I wasn’t able to work (as I did not volunteer!) He basically said ‘oh well’ and ‘you’ll have to get someone to take your shift’ Thankfully I found someone that could but if I hadn’t I would have lost my job because I wouldn’t have shown up.
There was a lot of Walmart related chaos in last year. One lady maced a huge crowd of people to get a waffle maker. There where pregnant woman and children in that crowd. There was police brutality against a grandpa who was trying to protect his grandson at a walmart in AZ. His grandson was holding a game and I think someone tried to take it from him so the grandpa put the game in his coat. A cop tried addressing him but he was hard of hearing (or maybe sight I’m not sure) but the old guy didn’t realize it was a cop shoving him (as they where in a crowd of people shoving each other!) so he resisted and the cop drop kicked the old guy, and he landed on his face.
Sorry this is so long I just get upset when I think about what people in America are willing to do to obtain things to prove they love one another. It’s disgusting.
-Jamie
It’s getting a bit out of control.
Holidays used to be sacred when stores were closed by 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
Sadly, people who need the money will be willing to work at WalMart or any other retailer than follows its lead.
I completely agree! My husband and I normally leave the kids tucked into bed early Friday morning, grab coffee, and handle all our shopping. I hate the fact that this interferes into both the employee and customer’s Thanksgiving. It smacks of green on Walmart’s part. They may consider it a convenience to the customer, but I consider it otherwise.
Completely agree! The corporate greed in America hasn’t gotten out of control. I met Sam Walton when I worked at Sam’s Club in 1988, and I don’t think he would approve of this. AND to those consumers who jump all over these types of sales just to save a buck, they will be there on Friday. It won’t kill anyone to wait a few hours.
This makes me angry beyond words! How selfish of the companies to ask their employees to be at work instead of at home with their families on Thanksgiving. I can tell you right now I would never work over being with my family on the holidays!
That is really sad. When are these stores going to stop all this who’s first in line to offer the best sales.. crap. Let the employees enjoy Thanksgiving with their families.
Sad 🙁
I think it’s weird that people are mad at Walmart for being open on Thanksgiving evening…when those very same people have NO problems with many stores being open on Christmas Eve.
I agree. I think it’s ridiculous!
geeze, that’s awful!
I liked your post on Facebook- that’s completely crazy to me. What’s even worse is that people WILL go there, which I find ironic. They go to get gifts to make their family happy- yet they’re missing Thanksgiving with their family to do so. I’m not a fan.
I agree that employees need to be with their families on Thanksgiving, but Walmart wasn’t the first store to do this. If people are willing to shop on Thanksgiving, than why wouldn’t Walmart be open?
I totally agree, I think it’s horrible. I’m really upset that Target is doing it also (I will not shop at Walmart for other reasons). My husband and I were just talking about how there’s no such thing as a real holiday anymore.
It is getting ridiculous. My husband works retail and we figure with in another 5 years Thanksgiving will be no more celebrated then Labor Day or Columbus Day
This is totally going to make me sound old, but when I was growing up, everything was closed on holidays. EVERYTHING. If you had to do grocery shopping, maybe you’d be able to go in the morning, but by the time the late afternoon rolled around, the grocery stores would be closed too. It’s a shame that businesses can’t take a few days off a year anymore.
yeah I love a great deal but nope, I refuse to shop on Thanksgiving. It’s a time for family. They better be paying those employees bank to work on the holiday.
I feel that should be family time. I agree!
I have never shopped on black Friday and I am not about to start. Sad they can’t spend time with their families.
I will be spending it with my family as well.
It’s getting a bit crazy!
Shop online! So much easier!
Having a son, who seems to like his job at the local Walmart, it is with caution I even post this… But having shopped at Walmarts , years ago, and now weekly., it seems that with the passing of Sam Walton, Walmart has also taken great effort to create a very wealthy empire without maintaining the once cheerful, consumer friendly atmosphere I remember from the “Sam Walton” days . I truly think he would be appalled to think his employees are working at Wallyworld’s Black Thanksgiving Day Sale, rather than spending a peaceful day giving thanks with their loved ones .
I completely agree, the other stores follow Walmarts lead too. Such a shame.