Author: Alanna Fichtel

 

Black Friday has been around for years, but recently it has been getting out of control. Some stores have cut back on their participation due to the growing belief that the shopping day interferes with the Thanksgiving holiday–despite the fact that many Americans do not share this opinion and continue to look out for the sales.

 

At many stores, Black Friday shopping doesn’t actually start on Friday. Many start their deals on Thanksgiving Day. This barely gives people enough time to finish their turkey dinners before tying up their sneakers and heading to the mall. I’m all for eating early, but Thanksgiving dinner is not a meal that should be rushed. Ever. You need ample time to partially digest your first serving so you can go back for seconds (or thirds).

 

 

I don’t like crowds in general, but especially not when I’m shopping. I need time and space to make decisions about what I’m buying. Also, stores that do wait to open until after Thanksgiving is over will open early on Friday–early meaning 12 or 1 a.m. In my opinion, that’s not Friday yet.

 

If you don’t get there when they open, the items that actually offer good deals with their sale will be gone. And it’s likely you’ll end up having to fight someone for an item in high demand. The money I might save on a purchase just doesn’t seem to outweigh the struggle I would have to go through to get it.

 

 

Thanksgiving really is a time that should be spent with family. If your idea of family time is shopping, then fine– but what about the workers at the stores? I doubt they’re more interested in seeing your family fight over which big screen TV to buy than being at home with their families, enjoying what should be a special holiday.

 

Stores are beginning to recognize these issues and make some changes regarding their sales. According to USA Today, many electronics are marked down the Monday before Thanksgiving. Getting your shopping done early is always a plus, with the added bonus of not having to worry about being trampled when entering a store.

 

 

Stores such as Target and Best Buy will be offering sales starting 8 to 10 days before Black Friday. Yet sales on Thanksgiving Day are still expected to be high, with 50% coming from online sales. Even though I’m an avid online shopper, I don’t want to spend my Thanksgiving looking for the best online deals. I would much rather be deciding what holiday movie to watch than which coffee maker is the best value.

 

In recent years, Cyber Monday has become a popular alternative to Black Friday shopping, both for convenience as well as better discounts offered for items like electronics. You can get a better deal without even leaving your house! Even so, people are still lined up at Wal-Mart for a new PlayStation.

 

I’m not the first person to express frustration over the Black Friday craze, but it’s really time for it to end. Black Friday has begun to overshadow Thanksgiving as a holiday and that is just not okay. When you’re more concerned about what time a store opens instead of what time your turkey will be done, you might need to do less.