Black Friday 2011: Customers and Employees Angry Over Early Openings
Some consumers and retail store employees have expressed their anger and dissatisfaction over this year's extra-early Black Friday opening hours.
Black Friday is only two weeks away, most big-name companies, including Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy, have released sale ads with the promotions they will be offering. Many stores are also opening earlier than ever, with some starting business at 12 a.m. Friday morning may even be a little bit late, as others, like Walmart, will welcome customers at 10 p.m. Thursday.
However, the extra-early opening times are not going to please everyone, with both consumers and employees needing to cut their holiday short and get to the stores on time. Most employees will be getting holiday pay, although, it might not be enough to compensate for the time they have to spend away from their family on one of the main holidays of the year.
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Anthony Hardwick, who works at Target, shared he would have to leave family celebrations, get some sleep, then get ready for work and be at the store for the start of his 11 p.m. shift on Thursday night. After that, Hardwick has to go to his second job at OfficeMax on Friday, according to The New York Times.
Hardwick shared he is glad to be employed, but that he feels “cutting into our holidays is just a step too far.”
With many in the country struggling just to get a job, some workers are happy to do the hours if it means they will receive extra pay and hold on to a line of work. The dangers, however, include overworking people and making them miss important family events, such as Thanksgiving.
Others complaining have gone on social networking websites, like Twitter and Facebook, to express their resentment over the extra early openings; however, the retail store giants are still confident they will be making significant profits this holiday.
A spokesperson for Macy’s, Holly Thomas, shared in an email: “There are many associates who would prefer to work this time as they appreciate the flexibility it affords their schedules for the holiday weekend.”
Walmart also explained their 10 p.m. Thanksgiving opening in a statement: “Customers told us they would rather stay up late to shop than get up early.”
