Black Thursday

With premature holiday promotions and retailers opening their doors earlier and earlier each year, Black Friday is a name that is inevitably going to be outdated.

Shoppers all over the country were eager Thanksgiving Day to put down their turkeys and pick up their shopping carts as Black Friday got off to its earliest start to date. Store doors typically open in the wee hours of the morning on Black Friday, but this year many retailers and shoppers were looking to get a head start at the chaos. 

More than 35 million Americans visited retailers’ stores and websites Thursday, according to the National Retail Federation. That figure is up from 29 million last year, with shoppers looking to score deals on everything from electronics to Elmo.

Among the many stores that decided to open up shop extra early this year were Toys R Us, Kmart, Wal-Mart, Target and Sears — all opening their doors as early as 8 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, according to examiner.com. So why the rush? The answer is not necessarily because these big corporations are trying to outdo one another and capture their competitors’ sales, according to Bill Dockum, general manager of a Target store in Tulsa, Okla.

“Target has had a lot of response from our guests, asking us to open earlier so they could get a jump start on their seasonal purchases even earlier than in the past,” Dockum said. 

And that, they did. Dockum’s Target store got far more business than he had anticipated, with the line of eager shoppers stretching outside from down the length of the building, through the parking lot, and all the way into the main street.

“In the past couple of years we averaged close to 1,000 people in line when we opened our doors. This year we had over 1,400 people in line when we opened ,” Dockum said. 

The crowds anxiously awaiting the opening of the doors at Dockum’s Target, some many hours in advance, did not seem to mind the wait compared to previous years. 

“The guests this year in line were much more subdued and more families were present. We also saw a more jovial atmosphere with the guests this year both outside and inside the store. There were no incidents of disruptive guests compared to years prior,” Dockum said. 

The warmer-than-usual Oklahoma weather had a lot to do with this overall good mood. Typically, customers are bundled up, shivering, and cannot wait to barge in and get items checked off their lists in a Black Friday frenzy. 

“If it were freezing out here like it normally is, I probably would have been less likely to leave my house early and stand out here,” said Lauren Truett, a Target Black Friday customer. 

Although there have been mixed opinions about stores opening up earlier for Black Friday madness to ensue, the numbers for these retail giants do not lie. Total spending for Black Friday weekend reached an estimated $59.1 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation. 

“Sales for the first two hours that we were open far out ran the previous years’ first two hours of sales, and the overall combined Thursday night and Black Friday sales were quite a bit over last year’s,” Dockum said. 

There are many people who would not dream of waking up at the crack of dawn to get their Black Friday shopping on. However, these Thursday evening starting times have brought out even the most avid haters of Black Friday.

“This is the first year I’ve come out to do Black Friday shopping. I would never have imagined myself doing this, but waiting in line at 8 p.m. isn’t so bad,” said Sally Nichols-Sharpe, a Target Black Friday customer.

On the very opposite end of the spectrum of Black Friday haters are the shoppers that cannot seem to get out of the house early enough to be the first in line. Retail giant Best Buy is notorious for having customers camp outside of stores, sometimes as early as a week in advance. A 40-inch Toshiba LCD television selling for $179 is worth taking vacation time and missing Thanksgiving at home for these Black Friday enthusiasts.

“Most Best Buys around the country do get camped outside of. All of the stores in Tulsa do. The first tent here went up Sunday evening,” said John Thompson, an employee at a Best Buy in Tulsa, Okla. 

However, there are also customers who, ironically enough as they themselves stand in these early-bird lines, are not too fond of the Thursday night start to the holiday shopping season.

“Black Friday should start on Friday. Starting it earlier and earlier every year takes away from Thanksgiving and the meaning of the holidays in general,” said Kim Mattlage, a Target Thanksgiving night shopper. 

Employees who had to work Black Friday were especially peeved with their employers when they found out how early they would have to clock in this year. Many retailers’ employees protested Black Friday store hours, and there were also cases where workers for Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, walked out on their shifts due to the Thursday night opening, according to cbsnews.com.

“I feel bad for the people that have to work on Thursday. It takes them away from their families on Thanksgiving, and I’m sure they really hate it,” Mattlage said. 

There may be differences of opinion on when the appropriate time for retailers to begin their Black Friday deals should start. Many people love it, while many hate it. Given that sales continue to grow as stores continue to open earlier, there is probably a good chance that Black Friday will eventually need to be renamed Black Thursday.