The shopping frenzy of Black Friday is moving into Thanksgiving Day as more retail stores open their doors on the holiday this year.
According to a National Retail Federation survey, 33 million people will hit the stores on Turkey Day. But the creep of consumerism has some calling for a boycott.
Jacksonville Beach resident Circe Lenoble is one of the people who is staying home on Thanksgiving Day. She feels so strongly about it, she’s replaced her Facebook picture with this pledge:
“I have there a little sign that says, I pledge not to shop on Thanksgiving,” she said.
If a store opens on Thanksgiving, she also vows that she won’t buy any of her Christmas presents from that business. She said she'll miss shopping at Target the most.
"I will shop at Target for the normal stuff I shop at Target for," she said, "but I’m not buying any Christmas presents or stocking stuffers at Target. I want to make an impact and I want to make a statement that this is not acceptable to me.”
Target is certainly not alone in opening on Thanksgiving Day. Wal Mart, Best Buy and K-Mart are among the many other stores that will be providing an alternative to the post-turkey nap.
It’s all part of a natural progression as Black Friday openings moved earlier each year, according to University of North Florida Economist Paul Mason. He said the bottom line is companies see this as the best way to get more of your money.
“People are only going to spend so much money for the Christmas holiday," he said. "If the stores can get those people’s money Thursday then they beat out the competitors and it improves their revenue and profitability.”
Mason says the popularity of online shopping on Thanksgiving has played a role in brick and mortar stores opening earlier. This year, he added, there’s even more of a scramble as a late Thanksgiving makes the holiday shopping season shorter than usual.
“It is a shame though for the employees of the stores who have to work on a holiday because the bosses are trying to generate more revenue,” he said.
Ben Marchio sells TV's at Best Buy and is among those who will be working on Thanksgiving.
“I don’t think there’s a need for it, but businesses want to make their money and it’s retail, it's profit," he said.
"People will come. I guess you can’t really turn it down.”
He couldn’t turn down the extra money he’ll make for working the holiday. He volunteered to work because he doesn’t have any family in town, and says it’s really no big deal for him to work on Thanksgiving Day.
“I don’t think anyone enjoys not being able to have a full holiday off and miss time with their family," he said. "But for the most part, everyone that’s in the industry understands that’s how it is when you work in retail.”
While some employees like the premium pay, and some shoppers enjoy the opportunity to shop early, Circe Lenoble-- who took the pledge not to shop on Thanksgiving-- is worried about the larger implications.
"It’s a statement about our culture and the takeover of things instead of the sacredness of family time,” she said.
It’s like the Black Friday Internet meme, she said, that only in America will people trample others for sales exactly one day after being thankful for what they already have.
Except now, the sales are coming on the same day.
You can follow Karen Feagins on Twitter @karenfeagins
