Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are having a wonderful holiday.
I will be spending the holiday enjoying a delicious feast and lots of laughter with some of my family and friends. Then, after our planned festivities, I will venture out for a little Black Friday shopping. I am sure it will be a fun day.
Speaking of Black Friday, have you noticed how many retailers are starting their sales in the late afternoon/early evening this year?
I was hoping the Thanksgiving shopping trend would pass quickly, but it seems to be getting worse. Many stores in our area have decided to open by 5 pm.
It was bad enough to see Christmas decorations lining store shelves before Halloween, but now retailers are trying to condense Thanksgiving.
What are retailers thinking? Is it really profitable to start Christmas sales earlier on Thanksgiving Day?
I think we, as consumers, are part of a large social experiment. Store executives are watching the numbers to see where we will draw the line. After all, our demand is fueling their supply according to Economics 101.
A few years ago, when the holiday started getting hijacked, I made the decision to refrain from shopping until after 8 pm on Thanksgiving Day. That is my line. I refuse to cut into our family-friendly celebration, just to save a few dollars.
Yes, I will probably miss out on buying a television set, or other expensive electronic, because a die-hard, Black Friday ninja will beat me to it. That is fine with me. I would rather enjoy my meal and spend time with loved ones than buy something I don’t need to purchase anyway.
Instead, I will settle for the $9.99 last-one-on-the-shelf Crockpot that I can use for next year’s Thanksgiving meal. I will exercise my shopping power for good, like Robin Hood, by robbing from the rich and stingy Black Friday to give back to the poor and neglected Thanksgiving.
Black Friday, I think you should go back to your namesake, Friday. It doesn’t make much sense to have you on Thursday, at least not before 8 pm.
I want to spend my Thanksgiving Day being thankful for what I have, not buying more stuff.