Black Friday Retailers Intrude on U.S. Thanksgiving Traditions

By Sinita Tatum

SYMRNA, Tenn. – Many American families have traded the traditional Thanksgiving evening filled with laughter while flipping through old photo albums, for crowded parking lots, long lines, and utter frustration.

White Thursday, the new Black Friday, does not leave every consumer with a feeling of euphoria. With sales beginning at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, it is a fact that retailers of Black Friday have now encroached on what is considered the most family-oriented holiday of the year.

Black Friday is considered the most important shopping day of the year and is known for attracting aggressive crowds; sometimes with crowds of consumers trampling on others in an attempt to get the best deal on products before the retailer runs out of supplies.

While waiting for Target’s doors to open, Tim Gorrell, 36, a resident of Smyrna, Tenn., said kicking-off Black Friday on Thanksgiving night was frustrating.  He said he would much rather be at home with his family enjoying a second or third plate of food, than to be standing in a line of 200 plus people he didn’t even know.

Frustrated consumers, such as Mr. Gorrell, are not alone in their feelings. Many retail employees say the feeling is mutual.

Korey Champlin, an assistant manager at Rue21 in Smyrna, Tenn., said his company opened at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day in order to compete with competitors’ store hours.

            When asked if it bothered him working on Thanksgiving Day, Korey said, “Absolutely. First of all, no matter when sales start, people will be willing to shop. By starting on Thanksgiving Day, customers feel upset along with employees. Black Friday is sufficient enough. White Thursday is not necessary. I prefer having Thanksgiving with my family.”

In contrast, retail giants say they are simply giving consumers what they asked for by opening on Thanksgiving Day versus on Black Friday.

So who’s to blame for this new and unwelcomed Thanksgiving Tradition known as the “Black Friday Creep,” the retailers or the consumers?

The National Retail Federation released figures for Black Friday stating that approximately 247 million consumers spent $59.1 billion in sales on Black Friday weekend, and with statistics such as these, it would be hard for any consumer to prove that retailers are at fault.

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