Black Friday boycott

Black+Friday+boycott

Ahh, Thanksgiving. A day dedicated to taking a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and expressing gratitude for the things you cherish. The cooks of the families slave away in hopes of creating the perfect feast: a succulent turkey (with the help of the Butterball Hotline), creamy mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and warm pumpkin pie. After a long day of preparation, loved ones gorge themselves on the mounds of food. At the conclusion of the feeding frenzy, families tell stories, cheer on their favorite football teams, or fall into a deep food coma. Whatever the tradition may be, on this day, families sit back, relax, and simply enjoy each other’s company.

Only in America, however, would we take a day of rest and relaxation and corrupt it with materialistic values. In the past five years, the retail holiday “Black Friday” has exploded. What originally represented the beginning of the holiday shopping season has escalated into all-out warfare! Video of Walmart shoppers fighting over 52” televisions at 3AM have gone viral.

A shopping day that began at 5AM on Friday morning suddenly moved to midnight, then Thursday at 10PM, then 8PM, then 6PM in four consecutive years, slowly eating away at the traditional concept of Thanksgiving. As retailers tried to edge out the competition, shopping hours became earlier and earlier. In the dog-eat-dog world of holiday sales, it only took one store to open early, and all others followed suit. The thought process has been that the earlier a store opens, the more buyers it attracts, and therefore, the more sales generated.

Thanks to Black Friday, over the years, Thanksgiving day has transformed from a peaceful, family-oriented holiday into nothing more than a pregame meal for many Americans. People rush out of family gatherings to gather coupons and caffeine in preparation for their shopping binge. Excited consumers flood retailers on Thanksgiving night to get a head start on crowds, but many say that isn’t fair for the employees who have to work that night. In recent years, employees have been forced to give up their family time, only to set up displays, referee fights, and field complaints as “hot deals” sell out far quicker than crowds would like.

Luckily, the trend seems to be reversing, as this year Hawthorn mall isn’t open on Thursday at all. In fact, they are not opening their doors until 6AM Friday. Even the Mall of America, which has always stayed open on Thanksgiving, will be closed on the holiday this year. “We think Thanksgiving is a day for families and for people we care about,” Jill Renslow, the mall’s senior vice president of marketing, told The Associated Press. “We want to give this day back.”

Some retailers are even going as far as to close their doors completely on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday.  REI, for example, will not be open Thursday or Friday. In addition, they will not be processing any online sales and are actually paying their employees to take the day off. The outdoor gear and apparel retailer has launched a campaign against Black Friday using the hashtag “#OptOutside.” The store is encouraging deal-seekers to be active and get outdoors this Friday, as opposed to partaking in the usual Black Friday madness. Instead of shopping and spending money, they want both their customers and employees to go outside and make memories with family and friends. This movement has caused REI to receive a tremendous amount of positive press, as they are one of the few stores focusing back on the original Thanksgiving values.

The existential crisis of whether or not to participate on Black Friday continues to haunt many customers and retailers. But are the sales really worth it?

For shoppers, as online shopping continues to grow in popularity, there is less need for Black Friday at all, let alone Black Friday on Thursday. After preparing and feasting on a meal, typical Black Friday participants can kick their feet up, lay on the couch, and shop; all while avoiding the long lines, frustration, and cold weather. Not to mention that most Black Friday deals are completely overrated. Often times, customers end up spending way more than they had hoped, as the sale that initially drew them into the store,was not applicable to the items eventually bought. When a store advertises a big “60% off” sign in their window, most customers get excited and do not realize the faint, fine print at the bottom that lists all of the exclusions.

Although retailers have opened earlier and earlier over the past few years, Black Friday sales have been on a consistent decline. Many stores have come to the conclusion that opening earlier has actually had the opposite effect on sales: the long hours have only generated more expenses, as opposed to the intended increase in sales. The idea of opening earlier and fostering an extra 8-12 hours worth of the weekend’s sales originally excited many retailers. Obviously, they forgot to consider that their customers most likely already had plans Thanksgiving night, therefore, their sales would not parallel those of the rest of the weekend. On top of these underwhelming sales, companies have to pay their employees “time-and-a-half” on holidays. Due to the lack of turnout, many retailers have actually lost money by staying open on Thanksgiving because of these holiday rates.

Whether it be because of a company’s beliefs/moral values, or simply due to financial reasons, more and more retailers continue to boycott Black Friday. Like many other trends, the retail holiday may have just run its course.