Anyone shopping on Thanksgiving Day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's tradition in my family to shop on Thanksgiving day. And, many in my family work retail. We arrange dinner around those who work and we happily stand in line at Walmart for the great deals. Thanksgiving weekend is one of our very favorite holidays.

Not OP, but I'm curious when did you start your "tradition to shop on Thanksgiving?" I can remember growing up (maybe I'm showing my age) but grocery stores were not open on Thanksgiving day! The only thing open were the 7-11s. It's just been the last 10 years or so that grocery stores are open and now the retail stores.

Shopping on Thanksgiving day, is crazy. I'll shop deals on Black Friday from the comfort of my home.

We started doing this probably 10-15 years ago. We go to a Walmart that opens at 6 pm and you would not believe the lines to get into the store. Due to occupancy issues, they have to limit the number of people they let in, so you sometimes end up waiting outside until people come out if you are not in line early. Getting a cart almost never happens and the checkout lines are like two hours long. So, we have lots of company while we shop on Thanksgiving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We actually do not shop until after Thanksgiving weekend. I think even Black Friday is too early. We spend Thanksgiving weekend enjoying time with family, being thankful and enjoying the end of fall (even though it feels like winter this year).

Monday after Thanksgiving is when we'll start our holiday shopping and planning. That's more than early enough for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's tradition in my family to shop on Thanksgiving day. And, many in my family work retail. We arrange dinner around those who work and we happily stand in line at Walmart for the great deals. Thanksgiving weekend is one of our very favorite holidays.

I would love to hear more from folks who work in retail. Many of us assume that people mind working on Thanksgiving but I am not sure that is always true. As a teen I worked in retail and I loved working holidays. I am pretty sure I was paid at least time and a half if not double time. Now I work in for a large company as a salaried employee, so of course I would be "outraged" if I had to work on Thanksgiving (that said I will likely answer emails as it is not Thanksgiving all over the world and my company is international), however I have to wonder if someone who is struggling financially might not be happy to adjust their Thanksgiving family dinner if it meant bringing in some more money for said family. I think in some companies full time employees get the holiday pay plus a premium if they work on the holiday. If I were an hourly wage worker I think I would be OK working on Thanksgiving if I made more in that one day than I made in 2 or 3 regular days.

That said my frame of reference is working in retail as a teen 20 years ago which is why I'd love to hear the perspective of more folks working in retail.

[Anonymous]

Definitely not going to a brick and mortar store on Thanksgiving or over the weekend. Can't say I won't peek on-line. I do find stores being open on Thanksgiving to be very offensive. It certainly shows our country's values in a bad light that we can't have one or two days where people just spend time with their families.

[Anonymous]

To the poster who said its a tradition in your family to go out and shop on Thanksgiving day...any chance you'd be willing to be interviewed about it? If so, I'm at [e-mail] or 202-334-7658.

And interesting to hear from the rest of the posters who won't be going out too--it's helpful to me as a reporter to hear your feedback.

Thanks!
Sarah Halzack

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We will never shop on Thanksgiving Day. I also try to avoid shopping anytime during the Holidays at stores who choose to open on Thanksgiving.

This. It's digusting. We all can't wait a few more hours for discounted junk?

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't shop actual Thanksgiving Day, but might consider heading to Target Thanksgiving night once family has left, kids go to bed, husband goes to bed.

[Anonymous]

I've worked retail. A lot of the employees love it -- time and a half or double time and they need the money. I grew up very blue collar and it was very common for people to be working Thanksgiving day and to arrange dinner around it -- not just retail but restaurant workers, hospital employees, office cleaners, even movie theaters and bowling alleys are often open. DH and I shop Thanksgiving night because we are visiting family (free babysitting!), we all eat early in the afternoon, spend the day together, put the kids to bed, and DH and I hit the stores while grandma and grandpa watch our sleeping kids. We go crazy with the toy deals to fill our birthday party stash and to send a big donation to Toys for Tots. Stores weren't open Thanksgiving Day when I worked retail, but I would have gladly taken a shift. Much better to earn holiday pay by working that day than to have to show up at 3 a.m. with no extra pay for Black Friday and other big holiday shopping days. There is so much about working retail at the holidays that is not family friendly (very odd hours, etc.) and working on Thanksgiving Day with extra pay does not seem like the worst of it.