Open on Thanksgiving

Many retail outlets are now opening earlier and earlier on Thanksgiving, this year, many around 6pm. Malls across the United States are mandating shops to open their doors to customers around the same time most of us should be carving our turkeys. This is an outrage to employees of these stores who are missing their family Thanksgiving. One woman is missing the first Thanksgiving with her boyfriend's family, outraged she said “I think that this is a little bit of a disregard for the retail employees' home life and personal life and it's hard for us to stay positive.” Many shoppers even agreed that stores should not be open on Thanksgiving to allow the employees time with their families. Many of the employees forced to work on the holidays are starting petitions to restore the meaning of the holidays. Although these changes are pressured to be put to rest, they are unlikely to happen in most areas. Big retail stores, especially during the holidays, cannot afford to not stay open one more day. One store owner says “Given the enthusiasm we have seen for earlier openings over the past few years, Westfield welcomes the opportunity to accommodate this demand and open early.” Though this new opening time is a lovely idea for consumers, it is a nightmare for those employees. So remember when shopping this holiday season of the people behind the counter.