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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2013 10:47:06 GMT -5
Please boycott shopping on Thanksgiving Day. Having retail shops open on Thanksgiving is ruining family time.
Why do I care? Until today I was not personally impacted by these policies. I don't work retail. So why am I posting this? Because I just received a call from a family member asking if I am okay with having another guest on Thanksgiving. Who? I asked. It seems that there is a 13 year old boy whose family is not celebrating Thanksgiving because his mom has to work that day. She is not an emergency room nurse or police officer-she works retail.
I am more than happy to share my family's Thanksgiving with this child but it breaks my heart that instead of spending time with his own family he will be going to a house he has never been to before to spend the day with many people he will just meet and not be with his own family. Please boycott shopping on Thanksgiving. I am. I am also noting who is open on Thanksgiving and not doing ANY shopping in those stores after Thanksgiving as well. Yes, this means you Target, Walmart, Macys and Kohls.
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Malarky
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Post by Malarky on Nov 24, 2013 11:08:08 GMT -5
I agree. There isn't anything I need that badly that I will shop on Thanksgiving.
I understand that there are people who would prefer to work for the overtime money, but I bet a whole lot more of them would prefer to have the day off.
Years ago we used to open the bakery for half a day on Thanksgiving in order to satisfy all the orders. Then we changed the deadlines and it's all done by Wednesday at 6 pm. It was killing the staff. Because on Friday, it all starts again, and you would think people have nothing to eat at home.
At least one person every year whines to me about how it was better when we were open on Thursday. I'm done being polite about it. I also deserve a holiday. I tell them that my family appreciates it more that I'm actually awake for dinner these days.
I really do appreciate our customers and know that we would be nowhere without them. But sometimes the staff has to come first.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2013 11:58:49 GMT -5
I have just heard from a friend who does work retail. She told me that employees who work at her store on Thanksgiving do NOT get holiday pay. Let's take back the holiday. Boycott Thanksgiving shopping!!!!
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Blonde Granny
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Post by Blonde Granny on Nov 24, 2013 12:57:12 GMT -5
Not everyone has the ability to spend holidays with family. Whether it's due to family problems and issues, or simply distance from family and cost of travel, T-Day and Christmas can be lonely and sad days.
If shopping on those days, going to a movie or simply out to eat helps fill the loneliness, who are you to want to spoil those days for others.
How about we say there can be NO TV broadcasts that day, either local channels or via cable. No football games, no HBO or LMN. After all, doesn't the TV take time away from sitting around the kitchen table with coffee and relatives all day long take precedence?
It's sad for the little boy, but life is what it is.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2013 13:18:27 GMT -5
Not everyone has the ability to spend holidays with family. Whether it's due to family problems and issues, or simply distance from family and cost of travel, T-Day and Christmas can be lonely and sad days.
If shopping on those days, going to a movie or simply out to eat helps fill the loneliness, who are you to want to spoil those days for others.
How about we say there can be NO TV broadcasts that day, either local channels or via cable. No football games, no HBO or LMN. After all, doesn't the TV take time away from sitting around the kitchen table with coffee and relatives all day long take precedence?
It's sad for the little boy, but life is what it is. I don't want to spoil anyone's day. There are other ways to fill your time if you are sad and lonely. Go to a nursing home or volunteer at a hospital. Why is it spoiling someone day to tell them to wait to go shopping but is is not spoiling someone's day to tell them they can't spend a holiday with their children? Is shopping the only way we can overcome loneliness? My daughter works on Thanksgiving and I will miss having her over at dinner but I understand that some people will work on holidays and she is one of them. I really just don't understand the pervasive consumerism that has permeated our culture to the point that people no longer matter but buying the latest widget does.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2013 13:18:40 GMT -5
I'm all for no shopping on thanksgiving, we should be able to survive one day without shopping.....and to those who can't, you can always shop online
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Blonde Granny
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Post by Blonde Granny on Nov 24, 2013 13:22:52 GMT -5
So, you want everyone to spend their day exactly as you want. Sorry, life doesn't quite work that way.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2013 13:25:57 GMT -5
Blonde Granny,
Your response to me made it sound like I wanted everything to shut down for holidays. This is not true. I also know what it is like to be alone on Thanksgiving so I am not being flippant to lonely people. When I was married to my ex-husband he was in the military and was deployed over the holiday. Even worse he was not allowed to tell me where in the world he was. I spent the day on base away from my family by myself. I doubt that if Kmart had been open it would have made me less lonely.
If I misinterpreted your post. My apologies.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2013 13:28:12 GMT -5
So, you want everyone to spend their day exactly as you want. Sorry, life doesn't quite work that way. Where did I say these words? I don't remember posting that I want everyone to spend their day exactly as I want.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2013 13:43:39 GMT -5
I just don't agree with retail stores opening on Thanksgiving. Lets face it-there are more retail workers than there are those working in entertainment (football/parades) so opening retail establishments impacts many more families. There will always be people who have to work but if we start having a large portion of the population work on those days is it really a holiday anymore or just another day where most people are at work and a few lucky ones have it off?
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Nov 24, 2013 13:43:54 GMT -5
I was in the retail industry for years. I hated rushing through Thanksgiving dinner, because I had to get SOME sleep before getting up way early to work Black Friday. So much for family time. There is only so much money I will spend at Christmas. (There is only so much money the rest of the world spends at Christmas.) Being open at Midnight on Black Friday, or 8pm on Thanksgiving, is NOT going to influence me to spend more money. Once the retail industry gets a clue that even being open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week won't be bringing them in additional money, then MAYBE they'll start scaling back hours. The problem is, the "common sense" people don't appear to be in charge of the industry. I'm not shopping Thanksgiving Day, or Black Friday. If I feel the urge to shop, all I need to do is fire up my computer. I'm spending my time with my family.
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Great
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Post by Great on Nov 24, 2013 13:45:47 GMT -5
Not everyone has the ability to spend holidays with family. Whether it's due to family problems and issues, or simply distance from family and cost of travel, T-Day and Christmas can be lonely and sad days.
If shopping on those days, going to a movie or simply out to eat helps fill the loneliness, who are you to want to spoil those days for others.
How about we say there can be NO TV broadcasts that day, either local channels or via cable. No football games, no HBO or LMN. After all, doesn't the TV take time away from sitting around the kitchen table with coffee and relatives all day long take precedence?
It's sad for the little boy, but life is what it is. I have to agree with Blonde Granny and her stated reasons and will add that I have a neighbor that does not celebrate Thanksgiving due to her religious beliefs, it's just another Thursday to her. Cyanne …. Maybe you should talk with the little boy and let him know how grateful he should be that he has parents who have a job and work hard so that they may provide him with food and shelter. I haven't met anyone who works in retail that doesn't realize weekends, evenings and holidays are just part of the job. It's nice you are babysitting this little boy on a holiday so his mother can work.
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kilroy
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Post by kilroy on Nov 24, 2013 13:52:25 GMT -5
So, you want everyone to spend their day exactly as you want. Sorry, life doesn't quite work that way. Where did I say these words? I don't remember posting that I want everyone to spend their day exactly as I want. You don't have to say the exact words, and I got the same impression as BG. Exhorting other people not to shop on Thanksgiving is a way of telling them what to do on that day. If people want to go shopping, they can go shopping. Everyone has the right to make their own choices.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2013 13:53:26 GMT -5
Not everyone has the ability to spend holidays with family. Whether it's due to family problems and issues, or simply distance from family and cost of travel, T-Day and Christmas can be lonely and sad days.
If shopping on those days, going to a movie or simply out to eat helps fill the loneliness, who are you to want to spoil those days for others.
How about we say there can be NO TV broadcasts that day, either local channels or via cable. No football games, no HBO or LMN. After all, doesn't the TV take time away from sitting around the kitchen table with coffee and relatives all day long take precedence?
It's sad for the little boy, but life is what it is. I have to agree with Blonde Granny and her stated reasons and will add that I have a neighbor that does not celebrate Thanksgiving due to her religious beliefs, it's just another Thursday to her. Cyanne …. Maybe you should talk with the little boy and let him know how grateful he should be that he has parents who have a job and work hard so that they may provide him with food and shelter. I haven't met anyone who works in retail that doesn't realize weekends, evenings and holidays are just part of the job. It's nice you are babysitting this little boy on a holiday so his mother can work. I will do this. I just hope that I don't have to have this conversation with others as the holiday degrades and more and more people are expected to work. Will it still be a holiday when most people work and we rush home to heat up a frozen pizza so we can go Thanksgiving shopping that evening? Now there are two days a year that retail stores are not open-Christmas Day and Easter. Which one is next?
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kilroy
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Post by kilroy on Nov 24, 2013 13:57:33 GMT -5
Why does it matter so much to you? If people choose to work, they can work; if they want to shop, they can shop. If they don't want to, they can choose not to. I personally hate socializing, even with family, and would rather spend holidays by myself. I'm certainly not going to insist that the whole country do likewise.
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constanz22
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Post by constanz22 on Nov 24, 2013 13:58:44 GMT -5
Kmart has always been open Thanksgiving day. I'm 44 and I remember being late teen and early 20's, after eating dinner, my older brother and I would go to Kmart for something to do...we weren't really a football family and once we'd eaten and hung out a bit, we wanted to get out and do something. Lots of people have to work Thanksgiving, and every other holiday. So what...
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Nov 24, 2013 14:01:15 GMT -5
Sadly, DH's employer has been considering being open on Christmas Day the last few years, but haven't done it to date. They're considering it again, but haven't yet told the staff what they've decided. Everyone wants family values, but no one wants to give families time to spend together. I think it's sad. Probably because as a kid I didn't even have to question if my Dad was going to work on Thanksgiving or Christmas, or even Christmas Eve. It was a given that companies gave people those days off. What's the point of even having holidays if you can't be with your family?
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Blonde Granny
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Post by Blonde Granny on Nov 24, 2013 14:01:19 GMT -5
cyanne, you don't need to lecture me on being a military wife. The first 4 years we were married, I spent 3 of them alone. Including 13 months in Viet Nam. Dh is a disabled Viet Nam vet, I'm learning now what it means when your Dh gives his life for his country.
I've had my Dh go into the office on Xmas Eve because computers and problems for major corporations don't care whether it's Xmas or not. I've worked retail, I know what's it like, and I was one who sometimes volunteered so that others could be with their families.
Holidays are a long and sometimes miserable times...for me, I'd just as soon the calendar jumped to Jan. 15 and this nonsense is over. I've never seen a family yet who has a Hallmark Christmas card Christmas, and over the river and thru the snow to Grandmothers we go is only good in the commercials.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2013 14:02:13 GMT -5
Where did I say these words? I don't remember posting that I want everyone to spend their day exactly as I want. You don't have to say the exact words, and I got the same impression as BG. Exhorting other people not to shop on Thanksgiving is a way of telling them what to do on that day. If people want to go shopping, they can go shopping. Everyone has the right to make their own choices. Everyone has the right to make their own choices. I agree. The ads telling me that their stores are open for business do not make me shop. I don't agree with them and I am choosing not to shop. If you don't agree with my viewpoint then shop. I am not stopping you. I don't agree with that decision (obviously) but I have no power to stop you.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2013 14:09:34 GMT -5
cyanne, you don't need to lecture me on being a military wife. The first 4 years we were married, I spent 3 of them alone. Including 13 months in Viet Nam. Dh is a disabled Viet Nam vet, I'm learning now what it means when your Dh gives his life for his country.
I've had my Dh go into the office on Xmas Eve because computers and problems for major corporations don't care whether it's Xmas or not. I've worked retail, I know what's it like, and I was one who sometimes volunteered so that others could be with their families.
Holidays are a long and sometimes miserable times...for me, I'd just as soon the calendar jumped to Jan. 15 and this nonsense is over. I've never seen a family yet who has a Hallmark Christmas card Christmas, and over the river and thru the snow to Grandmothers we go is only good in the commercials. Blonde Granny, I was not lecturing you. I was just letting you know that I know what it means to be lonely over the holiday and the circumstances it was under. Thank you to both you and your husband for your sacrifices in serving our country. Not every holiday has been dandy for me either-I have a very disfunctional family and holidays often ended in domestic incidents. I have worked retail but is was in the days before you were required to work on Thanksgiving. I have worked Black Friday and all of the weekends of the season. I just think that if we turn Thanksgiving day into another shopping day we lose something as a society. Yes there are people who work holidays. There always will be but once a large portion of the population works on that day then it will no longer be a holiday for anyone. I don't want to see that-even though my history of holidays hasn't been the greatest.
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kilroy
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Post by kilroy on Nov 24, 2013 14:11:38 GMT -5
You don't have to say the exact words, and I got the same impression as BG. Exhorting other people not to shop on Thanksgiving is a way of telling them what to do on that day. If people want to go shopping, they can go shopping. Everyone has the right to make their own choices. Everyone has the right to make their own choices. I agree. The ads telling me that their stores are open for business do not make me shop. I don't agree with them and I am choosing not to shop. If you don't agree with my viewpoint then shop. I am not stopping you. I don't agree with that decision (obviously) but I have no power to stop you. Well, I won't be shopping since our family doesn't do holiday gifts. Mostly I just wish people would stop using the Internet to try to tell other people what to do. Petitions, Facebook posts, blogs, message boards, and on and on. Can't we all just leave each other alone to do as we choose?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2013 14:40:56 GMT -5
I work retail... When I signed up for the job I knew it meant while others partied I worked: holidays, weekends... I am at work.
I signed up for it and I am not complaining. Maybe the little boy mom volunteered to work on that day because it is 1.5 times vs regular time and she needs the extra money; so the holiday would not be ruining her family time but helping their finances.
Have you thought of that?
Working on a Holiday in retail is always voluntary (unless you are management) and since they always pay more than enough to make it worth your time (1.5 times up to 2-3 times) finding volunteers has never been an issue .
Our stores in NY open on Thanksgiving till 4 PM... Last year was the first year I was off on Thanksgiving and it felt weird (in MA the stores are closed).
Sorry I have a wife I adore, a mother that I thank God for every day and siblings that I will go to the moon and back for. I don't need a Holiday to spend time with them and let them know exactly how much I love and care for them.
I don't need a holiday to invite them Over for dinner of take them out, text, call, IM, etc. So no, the retailers are not destroying family time by being opened on Thanksgiving.
Families that feels they need a holiday to celebrate being a family and appreciate each other are the ones letting a non-issue destroy family time.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2013 15:04:27 GMT -5
Thanks for the reply Cawaiu. I don't know about the mother involved but I have another friend who works retail and they are NOT getting extra money to work that day. I'm glad that working on a holiday is voluntary at your workplace. I have no problem with that. I know when I worked retail it wasn't voluntary-well sort of if enough people volunteered it was but if not it became manditory.
My children work in businesses that are open on holidays. My son gets a choice of which holiday he works-he has to work either Thanksgiving or Christmas or New Years. He does not receive additional pay. My daughter works at a business that is open 365 days per year. If the holiday falls on her regular day off she gets it off otherwise no.
Not everyone gets extra holiday pay. Not everyone gets the choice to take the day off. Unless they want to risk losing their job.
Since many people do have a long weekend it enables those who choose to get together the opportunity to travel to see family. If your family is in the area (within 2-3 hours) it is easier to see them whenever you want and you don't need the extra days off to see your loved ones.
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Nov 24, 2013 15:12:13 GMT -5
We're trying to come up with something catchy to put on the sign in front of our store about being closed on Thanksgiving. I was thinking, Closed for Thanksgiving, like god intended! I want something I can take a picture of to put on FB and see if I can get it to go slightly viral. I could go long winded and put something like, "Family owned business that closed on Thanksgiving so we can spend time together, but feel free to patronize a big box store that's exploiting workers at this very minute to bring you low prices and instant gratification if you can't wait for our sale tomorrow."
They're both OK, but not great. Help me out here. I need something really good.
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Nov 24, 2013 15:13:40 GMT -5
The last company I worked at, working on a holiday was NOT an option. In fact, even if your normal workday was 8 hours, a holiday ended up being a 10 or 12 hour shift. Sure, you might get time-and-a-half, but that never made up, IMHO, from missing a holiday with family.
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Nov 24, 2013 15:15:35 GMT -5
Hey Dark! I think that GREAT that you plan to be closed that day! How about something like: We're enjoying Thanksgiving with the Family. You do the same, & we'll see you Black Friday!
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Sum Dum Gai
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Post by Sum Dum Gai on Nov 24, 2013 15:21:23 GMT -5
That's good, but I don't see people reposting the picture. Needs to be a little edgier. It's not just a sign, it's a marketing thing. I want something that will get a couple hundred thousand shares, likes, and reposts. You can't buy Holiday advertising like that, at least not with my advertising budget.
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Nov 24, 2013 15:24:14 GMT -5
I suppose you can't be TOO edgy, since you're a kid's store. Like "Big Box retail suks".
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cronewitch
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Post by cronewitch on Nov 24, 2013 15:34:36 GMT -5
I want to go to Walmart Thursday and buy a big tv. They have a big Visio on sale at 5-6PM and if you are in line you can get a rain check. I will be in Portland so no sales tax but if I get a rain check I might have to go back for it and if I get it I don't think it will fit in my car. I hate black friday sales and thanksgiving sales, parking and long lines still to save a fortune on a big tv in the brand I like might be worth it. Making others work that day for my benefit is not my idea of nice so I wouldn't buy anything else just one tv.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2013 15:53:19 GMT -5
I have rescheduled more holidays than I can count. It really is not that big a deal to have turkey with family on a Saturday rather than a Monday (our Thanksgiving is always Monday) or hold Christmas Dec 24th rather than the 25th. Actually this way the kid gets 2 parties. And the more days the stores are open the more shifts they have to staff for the more people that are employed. Sorry, I'm not heartbroken for the kid.
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