Slew Of Major Retailers Say No To Black Friday

[KamaAina]

http://news.yahoo.com/outdoor-retailer-rei-says-no-black-friday-190511954.html

Yesterday's announcement that REI will be closed on Black Friday follows in the footsteps of Patagonia, which encouraged shoppers not to buy items the day after Thanksgiving, and a slew of retailers that choose to stay closed during the holiday.

Jerry Stritzke, president and CEO of REI, told ABC News that Black Friday is one of the retailer's top 10 sales days. "We will miss those sales," he admitted. But the company still decided to close all 143 stores on the biggest shopping day of the year.

Stritzke said “anxiety” about longer store hours was one reason that led to this decision, along with a goal of encouraging employees to do something outdoors with their families. He said “there were some tears” when employees learned they would be able to spend Thanksgiving and the following day with their families as paid holidays....

Retailers that will be closed on Thanksgiving include GameStop, Ikea, Staples, and P.C. Richard & Son. The industry trend over the past few years has to been to open on the holiday. Macy's, Walmart, Target, J.C. Penney and Kohl's are some of the retailers that will be open on Thanksgiving.

[randys1]

1. Take the BLACK out of Black Friday

All African Americans stay home on that day and send a message to police departments.


A few of us white folk will join you

[Travis_0004]

6. Shorter lines for everybody else

I doubt people would be too upset.

[randys1]

7. So the loss of hundreds of millions to Wall STreet, nobody would care about that?

Would you be more comfortable shopping if we didnt show up?

Is that the reason for this type of comment?

[SickOfTheOnePct]

9. Quite a leap you took there

It's pretty obvious the poster meant that no one would be upset about shorter lines, which would be the obvious result of fewer people shopping.

I don't get why you so often assume the absolute worst about other people's comments...almost like you're looking for something to be outraged about.

[Rond Vidar]

2. I've never shopped on Black Friday.

I exchange gifts with friends and family, sure...but I'm simply not that desperate to get the latest and greatest "deal".

[oldandhappy]

3. Good News! thank you for the post

Stay home everyone! Enjoy left overs!

[oberliner]

4. Those sales are moving online now

Or so it seems.

[SwankyXomb]

5. Big props to those retailers

doing their part to win the War on Thanksgiving.

[msongs]

8. black friday = buy nothing day in our community of friends nt

[SoCalDem]

10. Closed ON Thanksgiving makes sense.. Closing the next day..not so much

All they need to do, is to NOT participate in the crazy/frenzy of super-sales that has become attached to that day.

The whole purpose of a HOLIDAY, is to be CLOSED so the employees can have a day of pay and be at home with their families..

There is ample time to shop for Xmas, so the whole black Friday thing has always amused me. Some say that the "black" part of it is because that is the day their company goes from "in the red", to black (profitable)..

I think that if your company operates at a loss until Thanksgiving.. and if you have to ridiculously reduce prices to get shoppers into the store, you must be a bad manager

[KamaAina]

11. Most office workers get Thanksgiving Friday off

including me. So why not people who work at REI?

[SoCalDem]

12. If the company wants to, it's fine with me

but most do not.. They just ramp up the frenzy..

If the CEO wants to give his employees 2 days with pay for Thanksgiving, that a great thing for them..

I suspect that many companies are not so generous

[A HERETIC I AM]

13. You might think that, but you would be wrong.

Some say that the "black" part of it is because that is the day their company goes from "in the red", to black (profitable)..

I think that if your company operates at a loss until Thanksgiving.. and if you have to ridiculously reduce prices to get shoppers into the store, you must be a bad manager

Ever worked in retail?

The overhead for almost ANY store is enormous. But I can give you examples from my own family.

My cousins own Toy and Hobby stores in Connecticut. For the most part, the monthly saies are enough to keep the lights on, pay the mortgage and/or taxes and the salaries of the help.

What it doesn't do is make any real profit, allow for any real pay for the owners and generally show true black ink on the ledger.

Most retail stores do their heaviest volume during very predictable times of the year, and Toys and Hobby stores do the vast majority during the Christmas season. That this a fact of the industry does not mean all these stores have bad managers.

[KamaAina]

15. So they're competing with Hobby Lobby?

Everyone in CT should go to their stores instead!

[A HERETIC I AM]

16. They don't, no.

My cousin's stores handle actual toys, specializing in model trains. They have all manner of the old fashioned Revell plastic models (as well as other brands) Gas and elecric powered RC Vehicles and aircraft, dolls, childrens desktop toys (Thomas the tanks engine layouts, etc .) and are official retailers for the Girl and Boy scouts of America clothing and accesories.

They don't really handle the soft goods style crap that Hobby Lobby and Similar retailers do.


They are a toy store!

[romanic]

14. Good on them!

Hopefully the bigger retailers like Target, Macy's, etc will get the message to treat their workers right and to STOP GIVING THEM SHITTY HOURS WITH SHITTY PAY on a time where they should be with their families. (I hope the caps lock made that point clear )