Black Friday is thought to be coined as such because all stores operate in debt (or “in the red”) the entire year, finally producing a profit (“in the black”) after this fateful mega-shopping day after Thanksgiving. As such, Black Friday is routinely the busiest shopping day of the year in the United States, since 2005.
Hence, there are always special shopping deals normally unavailable the remainder of the year, and just in time for Christmas shopping. Department stores use marketing tactics like “early bird specials” and “doorbusters” to attract ambitious shoppers very early on Black Friday morning.
But the time leading up to Black Friday is Thanksgiving: a time full of wonderful (and probably some terribly embarrassing) family memories…
A Day of Thanks
Thanksgiving is a time when family and friends gather, all with delicious warm plates in tow. Turkey, real cranberry sauce (and, yes, too many delicious carbs to count) are displayed like art on the festively dressed dining table. The fire crackles in the fireplace. Candles are lit to acknowledge and remember those family members we’ve lost. And the stories! Thanksgiving is a time for retelling those favorite family stories, sometimes creating equal parts laughter and embarrassment.
After everyone stuffs themselves so full they can’t even laugh, we migrate into the living room to lounge on sofas, talk about what we are thankful for, and play board games until the tryptophan takes hold. (Well not really, but you get my drift.) After a little nap, you take a trip to the fridge to pick at a bit more food on the one day where you don’t have to feel quite so guilty about it.
After all guests wish everyone a wonderful holiday and don their coats, gloves, and scarves, then scurry off into the chilly night, it’s time to clean up a bit before bed and reflect on everything you’re thankful for once again (even if half of your relatives drive you nuts).
You’re plump and ready for a good night’s sleep before all hell breaks loose early tomorrow morning, Black Friday, when you’ll be playing tug of war with some other department store customer over some fantastic sale item—after waiting in line for an hour in the 5am cold, your hot cocoa your only reassurance that it’s probably going to be worth it.
But not anymore…
Thanksgiving, Interrupted
Apparently Black Friday isn’t enough anymore. Last year, Walmart decided to start its deals at 10pm on Thanksgiving evening. This year, in 2012, other large department stores have decided to jump the gun as well: along with Walmart, Sears and Kmart will be open at 8pm, and Target and Toys R Us will open at 9pm—ON Thanksgiving.
While these mega-marts insist that Thanksgiving night is a more “reasonable” time to shop, they’re igniting the chaos that is Black Friday shopping earlier than necessary.
This marketing tactic crosses the line—and, frankly, it’s bad marketing—do you want to go down in the books that your company isn’t for good family values and traditions?
Think about it…
How many family members will leave the Thanksgiving festivities early, just to get in on these deals before anyone else? Sure, it’s every individual’s choice—but the families who are more tightly strapped for cash are the people more willing to cut into family time to hit that deal. The less fortunate are forced to trade a Happy Thanksgiving for a Merry Christmas (or other holiday time), when every American should experience both.
What about the employees? Those in the customer service industry will find themselves picking up extra shifts on Thanksgiving. I have to believe that those people are nearing sainthood if they’re able to keep a cheery smile on what is undoubtedly the rudest day of the year. So more people have to make a decision between a little extra money and a holiday spent with their family.
In today’s fast paced world, we barely get enough family time as it is. A new generation is growing to loathe these big-name brands for just that reason.
We are already regularly forced to face the fact that our holidays are often overshadowed by our consumerism, especially as the Black Friday deal alerts and Christmas decorations start going up Halloween weekend.
Now our ONE day we are actually supposed to be thankful for what we already have is tarnished as well.
This should be a wake up call for all of us. This year, let’s look to our local brands instead—the ones that still value precious family time and true thankfulness.
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