Mishandled Holidays

Now that we are in full swing of the holiday season, it is time to reflect on something that has been in the news the past couple of years.  Stores opening earlier and earlier for Black Thursday/Friday.  As we all know, the Christmas season seems to be starting in the middle of October in retail and we are starting to see companies changing their hours of operations to accommodate holiday shopping.  

One of the determining factors that went into my leaving Target three years ago was the direction they were taking around the holidays.  Two years before I left, they opened at midnight for Black Friday.  Technically Friday, yes.  The year before I left, they were opening at 9:00 Thursday night.  It was marketed to the employees as an experiment to see if it would work.  Also, it was to compete with other companies that were opening earlier (Wal-Mart and Kohl's for example).  If it's one thing I know about retail, is that if they are 'rolling out a new process' to see if it'll work, there is very rarely any backtracking.  Once they have their minds set, they are going forward. 

My new employer does not open on Thanksgiving.  About three or four years ago, the CEO came out and said that they would never open on Thanksgiving.  The stores open at 7:00 in the morning on Black Friday.  Three hours earlier than normal store hours.  Now, there were six of us that started work at 3:00 in the morning in order to prep the store.  Not the best coming off a day of sitting around, eating, and drinking, but if you are done with work before noon, it can't all be bad.  As I drive to work, I pass maybe a dozen retail businesses that opened Thursday night for Black Friday Thursday.  Do you know what I noticed?  Empty parking lots.  There was one, ONE, that still looked busy.  The last year I worked at Target, they opened at 9:00 PM.  I went to work at midnight because I refused to work before it was Friday.  I remember going there anticipating the store still being swamped with shoppers.  It was dead.  I mean, DEAD.  The big rush had happened, and people left.  It was the most boring Black Friday I had ever dealt with.  My sixth in retail.  People came out, got what they wanted, and went back home or went on to the next store that was opening later.  It left us with almost nothing to do considering the first wave of employees were still there. 

So how important is it to be open Thursday night?  I mean, there were more cars in gas stations and 24 hour restaurants than there were in the businesses I passed.  How profitable is it for the company to stay open from Thursday night and all the way through Friday night when they eventually close?  Sure, they made their money in the first two to three hours, but can't they make the same amount opening super early on Friday like they use to?  That is one of the draws to opening on actual Friday.  It makes the day go by quickly because there is no lull for four hours because the big rush is finished and people have gone back to bed.  Black Friday can actually be fun for the workers.  Most customers are in a good mood because they are still loaded up on turkey and pumpkin pie.  They are all getting deals and the start of Christmas season has everyone happy.  Happy customers makes work better because you aren't getting yelled at.

I don't think it will ever really change for companies like Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, or Kohl's.  They have made their bed, and I think they'll forever sleep in it.  It is good to see some companies staying closed on Thanksgiving.  The number of companies that remain closed on Thanksgiving seems to be growing, even if it is by one or two a year, and it is good to see.  And then there is REI.  REI went hardcore this year.  They remained closed on Black Friday.  That was a boss move.  I am sure that they gained many a new customer with that move.  They aren't going to go bankrupt by being closed on Black Friday.  

One final note.  Every year I see posts that are along these lines:

'Why are retail workers complaining about working on Thanksgiving?  Police officers, soldiers, doctors, nurses, fire fighters, emergency response workers work ALL holidays.'

This is a true statement.  But every person that falls into that category know what their work/life balance is going to be like.  They all know that they may have to work any of the 365 days a year.  That is part of their job.  Those jobs are essential.  Retail companies don't need to be open 365 days a year.  Some choose to be open.  Target use to be closed three days a year.  Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  Three days that are spent with family and friends.  My current employer, World Market, is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I don't see Easter as big of a deal as I see the other two holidays.  World Market does do a lot of short hour holidays.  Holidays like New Year's Eve and day, Easter, and 4th of July have reduced hours so employees can enjoy the holiday.