Black Friday 2011: Retailers' Thanksgiving Night Opening Causes Employee Uproar
To draw in customers on Black Friday, some retailers announced they will be opening on Thanksgiving night, a move that is causing uproar in the public.
Over 15,000 people signed a Change.org petition-asking Target to push back it's opening to 5 a.m. on Black Friday, as opposed to the planned midnight opening.
Anthony Hardwick works at a Target in Nebraska and said he drew up the petition because the midnight opening would cut into family's Thanksgiving dinner.
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Hardwick said in a statement: "With the midnight opening, employees like myself will have to leave for work right in the middle of Thanksgiving Dinner...we don't mind hard work, but cutting into our holidays is a step too far."
Target is not the only retailer opening it's doors late on Thanksgiving. Macy has decided to open at midnight for the first time in the store's 153-year history. Kohl's will also open at midnight while Toy R Us will open at 9 p.m.
Best Buy will open up at midnight as well. CEO Brian Dunn said the decision was not easy.
“I feel terrible," said Dunn. "It will change some Thanksgiving plans for our employees. It certainly changes mine."
Some are suggesting retailers’ decision to open early is based on increasing sales in the past couple of months. Retail sales likely rose in October by 0.3 percent, according to the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.
Hardwick hopes getting Target to change its Black Friday hours will pressure other retailers to do the same
Holiday retail sales are expected to rise 3 percent and 212 million people are projected to go shopping on Black Friday, spending around $39 billion, according to Shopper Trak.
