Attention Twilight Shoppers!
Black Friday officially begins on Thanksgiving Thursday this year thanks to retail giants such as Macys and Kohl's who have announced holiday hours as early as 8:00pm on November 28, 2013. Deal seekers anxiously await WalMart and Target to announce their door opening hours, but it seems they are holding out until the last minute; perhaps a strategy as to not anger the Black-Thursday opposition.
Not everyone excites over this news and it can certainly stir up some spirited debates. Corporate giants claim economic question marks as the rationale for earlier hours this year. Many retail employees cry foul for obvious reasons, and family time advocates refuse to consider the concept and threaten greedy retailer boycotts.
As a former mall employee, I say that everyone needs to pull up their Ho-Ho-Ho pants and deal with the ever-progressing world that we live in. When working retail through high school and college, I made a conscious job choice and was fully aware that certain shopping seasons (back-to-school, summer break and Christmas) would mandate longer work hours.
The Black Friday frenzy continues to escalate each year, but are big box employees blind to industry standards when they accept employment? In a consumer and profit driven environment, employees must accept that retail shoppers write their paycheck and corporate will make no apologies for competing in the market place.
Retail's very nature calls for longer than normal hours and some unfavorable working conditions. But again, employees make a conscious career decision. While most media spin focuses on the disgruntled employee, there is a healthy base of hourly workers that are grateful for their jobs and appreciative of extra hours.
Employees should not blame big box profits entirely; they should be accountable for their career choice and also recognize the dollar dash consumers that are co-steering the bus.
Chalk it up to consumer mania gone even madder over deals and steals. We see the horror stories of children trampled, shoppers stun-gunned, and my-toy brawls. But no risk seems too great to deter the deal seeking shopper that is addicted to the adrenaline thrill of the open door dash into oblivion.
They will be front and center, dined and lined, chomping at the bit. Oh what a wonderful world.
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