Seriously, what is the logic behind stores opening for Black Friday on Thursday evening?

[Stinky The Clown]

Will people buy additional Christmas gifts that they would not have otherwise bought?

Do they think people will spend money on Thursday night that they might be disinclined to spend on Friday? Do they think they'll spend money on Thursday night *and* on Friday?

Will we get to see teevee crews doing live remotes as crazed shoppers line up waiting for doors to open? Will small children be trampled in the frenzy? Will there be hair pulling between Moms after some rare flavor of Barbie or Beanie Baby?

Seriously, what is the logic behind stores opening for Black Friday on Thursday evening?

[Archae]

1. Three words: Sell, sell, sell.

[agracie]

14. Merchants join hands around the cash register and sing...

"What A Friend We Have in Jesus".

[grilled onions]

36. Amen To That

I can see it now...a lot reserved for roaming camels and a huge spotlight looking very much like the North Star lure unsuspecting shoppers to their store!

[agracie]

49. But nary a virgin to be found... n/t

[Angry Dragon]

2. Follow the Money

[rug]

3. What I heard is they are competing with the internet.

The rationale is that there is a finite amount of money for presents. By hyping Black Thursday their hope is to get a chunk of that budget early before it's spent online.

[GeorgeGist]

20. Is the internet closed on Thanksgiving?

[rug]

40. I suppose you could spend Thanksgiving on Amazon, Etsy, and Overstock.com if you want.

But most people don't.

Historically, the bulk of holiday shopping takes place after Thanksgiving, on and off the internet.

[spanone]

4. profits...

[MADem]

5. I grew up in a time when there was no "Black Friday."

It just didn't exist. When I first heard the term, I was confused--I had thoughts of plague, or something!

Of course, way back in the damn dark ages, they didn't start selling the Xmas decorations while the Halloween costumes were still on the shelves marked half off, either!

[agracie]

15. In my neck of the woods,

Christmas decorations crowded out the Back To School displays.

[MADem]

44. I can remember people harrumphing if they were up ahead of Thanksgiving!

Really! Of course, that was long before cable television existed!

[KansDem]

27. I remember those days, too!

"Black Friday" was nothing more than another day off from school!

[MADem]

41. The "Thanksgiving Long Weekend"--yee haw! nt

[seabeyond]

6. i do not know. i just found out my son is working thanksgiving. hastings. i am sooooo mad.

we are going out of town.

not gonna fly.

hasting may be hiring if they do not fix it. he is a kid. so more flexibility and doesnt need the job. but, this is the last year he will be around. i get him.

i was trying to figure out why the hell the store would even be open. must be this whole black friday thing.

[bluedigger]

7. To empty consumers' wallets before they can shop somewhere else.

In a nutshell.

[reformist2]

24. +1. That was my thought too.

[highplainsdem]

35. +1,000

[DCKit]

8. They're worried that the consumers will have run out of money by Tuesday. nt

[Manifestor_of_Light]

9. To torment the salespeople.

Even more than they are being tormented and worked on black friday.

[Catherine Vincent]

10. $$$$

[Marie Marie]

11. Greed.

[onehandle]

12. I only shop on Black Friday. After a year, I need a 24 pack of fresh underwear at 50% off, bad.

Socks too.

C'mon Midnight!





...heh...

[Journeyman]

13. Money. And, I heard my first Xmas Carols today. I tell you, it's a War on Our Sensibilities. . .

[Lugnut]

16. Getting the jump on the competition.

I think it's ridiculous even though I understand why stores do this. It won't be long before Black Friday will become Black Thursday at this rate. I don't leave the house on Black Friday if I can help it. I'm not into crowds and trampling.

[Shilo]

17. to appease the people who don't want to wake up at 4 am Friday

[mindwalker_i]

18. Because people are stupid

Seriously, I remember some woman crowing about buying 5 TVs. What's she going to do, watch Friends on five fucking TVs all at once? Or is she going to give five people a TV each so they can watch Friends?

Now that people get killed in the rush into the stores, Black Friday is becoming an evolutionary force of nature. And for what? Buying a bunch of shit so you can max out your credit cards?

People are stupid.

[Tx4obama]

19. Shoppers Already In Line For Black Friday

Black Friday Shoppers 2012: Best Buy Shoppers Line Up Early In California
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/16/black-friday-shoppers-2012_n_2146691.html?utm_hp_ref=business&ir=Business

[HereSince1628]

21. The idea is twofold...money spent in MY store can't be spent in YOUR store

and buyers are bored enough with life to think participating is part of the holiday party.

[Skidmore]

22. I went with my husband one time to BF

and refused to ever do that again.

[TM99]

33. I agree

I had never participated in the madness of Black Friday either. Last year, my partner and I had a bit of extra cash. So we went out and braved the crowds to see if there were any of these amazing once in a lifetime deals. Neither she nor I could find anything that we truly needed or wanted that was really such a big savings. We could wait till after the holidays and get it cheaper. We could find it online cheaper even with shipping. What we did find was horrible crowd filled lines. We found angry and sad sales people who wished that they had the time off with their families.

Finally, we took some of that extra cash over to the lay away department of the local Walmart. We paid off three people's items so that they could have a good Christmas with their kids.

We will never do Black Friday again. We have also decided to not shop at all this Thanksgiving weekend in protest. We will, if we can afford it (much tighter year), try to pay off at least one families lay aways for Christmas.

[RebelOne]

52. I did it once and will never do it again.

It is not worth the aggravation of getting up at 4 a.m., standing in line and then battling the crowds when the doors open

[hobbit709]

23. They know that nowadays people have a limited amount of money.

so whoever gets their hands on it first, wins.

[Skidmore]

42. Which is a good reason for people to sit on their money and force these companies

to compete more realistically.

[hobbit709]

43. I won't get within 5 miles of any store on Black Friday weekend

[nadinbrzezinski]

47. I need to. I hear there is a strike brewing.

With camera, note pad and press credentials of course.

[malaise]

25. Well they will force their employees to leave family reunions

on Thanksgiving Night - nothing like promoting great family values.
Are public holidays even holidays anymore?

[GoCubsGo]

31. Or, giving them an escape.

Not everyone likes being around their families. And, given what happened last week, I suspect there will be lots of families with members who will be utterly insufferable for the next four years, let alone Thanksgiving evening. And, lots of families who have members who are just plain insufferable, all politics aside. Some might see this as an excuse to get away from all the family drama.

Also, Thanksgiving is wall-to-wall football. And, not everyone likes football.

I'm not saying I agree with these stores for doing this. I'm just saying that some people might see this as a good thing, and that includes both employees and customers. And, may I add that some of us don't need some "official" holiday in order to spend quality time with our families. Or, be thankful for what we have.

[malaise]

38. LOL - you have a point

I suspect some loony will wipe out his entire family later this week as politics is served up at the Thanksgiving dinner table.

[Kolesar]

32. I finally get a day off, and what have I gotta do?

Spend it with my family! --Al Bundy

[malaise]

39. Hahahahaha

We were supposed to travel this week, but since I can't leave before lunchtime on Thursday hubby says no way - I was alone last year but spent hours in immigration and customs and vowed that I would never again travel on Thanksgiving day.

Maybe we'll travel on Friday

[AlexSatan]

50. "Force"? No

It is a choice. I choose not to.

[peacebird]

26. Profit. Get people into stores for limited numbers of huge bargains and sell more other stuff...

[ejpoeta]

28. I read somewhere that they think younger people will go wait at 10pm

and then the people who regularly go out at 5am will go out at 5 am. I do go out for black friday mostly because it's a family thing I do with my sisters. I draw the line at 5am. I will not go out on Thanksgiving. I also don't go to electronics sections. I don't pull hair or fight with anyone. The way we do it we avoid most of the craziness.

[obamanut2012]

29. And this is why I buy EVERYTHING for Xmas online now

Big companies like Amazon, REI, B & N, and Starbucks, as well as small specialty businesses like ZombieRunner and local places.

[CBGLuthier]

30. Anything to win 20 more points at the annual bastard boss competitions.

[Stagecoach]

34. Within 5 years

I predict within 5 years all the retail outlets will be open all day Thanksgiving. I believe this is Corporate America's way of easing away from the normal 3-day work week during Thanksgiving Week for their lower-level employees and turning it into a normal 5-day work week. That way they no longer have to pay those employees holiday pay for those 2 days. Don't worry, the big shots in the corporations will continue to take those days off.

[morningfog]

37. Mission creep. Soon, Thanksgiving itself will become the biggest shopping day of the year.

[Bragi]

45. It's based on retail science

Retail science shows that the longer stores are open, the more money will grow in peoples' wallets.

Yeah, I think that's it. Any other questions?

[mzteris]

46. 'cause they're greedy bastards!!

Besides, those wimmen folk are done cleaning up the kitchen and the menfolk wanna sit around and drink beer and watch football on the tv without those wimmen folk a yapping.

[rdking647]

48. what kind of idiot would go christmas shopping on thanksgiving

or even black friday??? why would a rational person deal with the crowds?

[agentS]

51. Let's see if it cuts down on the Black Friday stampedes or not

I recall a few people getting trampled at Wal-Mart in Long Island a few years back. IF this early open splits the crowds a bit, it'll make BF a little less life-threatening.

I WON'T shop in stores on Thanksgiving, however (if I were stateside, that is). Online, sure- Christmas ain't next week after all- I can wait 30 days for a package.

[notadmblnd]

53. they want yo to dump your money in their stores before you dump in somewhere else

[Blue4Texas]

54. More money?

[mysuzuki2]

55. I have no intention of going shopping on black friday.

either thurs night or friday. What's the point? The stores will still be there sat or sun if I have to shop.

[riderinthestorm]

56. Bored, drunk people needing an excuse to NOT be with family that day.

Shopping is an easy "out".



Presumably the stores already know its a money maker or they wouldn't do it.

Personally, I think its ridiculous. But I hate shopping so there's that.

[Thor_MN]

57. I can't deal with the tunnel visioned idiots

So focused on their next purchase, or ruminating on their last, aimlessly circling parking lots, willing to run someone over to get a spot that someone just left...

[protect our future]

58. All of the above