With Halloween over, what’s the next holiday to which we can look forward? (Spoiler: Thanksgiving is the day before it). Oh, that’s right – Black Friday. Because what is a better way to conclude a day of being thankful than focusing on what you don’t have?
One large retail chain might have the answer.
On October 25, REI announced that it would not only refuse to open its doors on Thanksgiving, but that it would also be closed on Black Friday. REI, a chain of outdoor and athletic gear stores, made the announcement with an addendum:not only does it discourage its shoppers and employees from participating in Black Friday madness, but it also encourages consumers to explore the great outdoors. To fuel their campaign, REI began a promotionalhashtag – #OptOutside – to draw more attention.
Miraculously, it seems that other stores are following suit. Although not all stores are bold enough to close on Friday, many famous chains are at least not going to open their doors on Thanksgiving Day. Some of the stores who are limiting their hours to Black Friday include Costco, Staples, and Nordstrom.It’s refreshing.
But why are some stores cutting back?
One reason might be the report by the National Retail Federation. It found that in 2014, only 55% of shoppers made purchases on Thanksgiving weekend and that almost half of those purchases were made online. Clearly,Black Friday revenue isn’t as impressive as it has been; perhaps stores don’t have as much to lose by slashing their Black Friday hours.
However, REI isn’t closing due to financial reasons. Instead, it cites a different motivation for its decision to take the day off: to get people outside. On the company’s website, there is a countdown to the number of days until REI will “#OptOutside” on Black Friday, accompanied by the statement,“being outside makes our lives better.” In fact, the chain will give its employees a paid holiday that day to give them time to explore the great outdoors.
Personally, I have never been a fan of Black Friday antics on a practical or philosophical level. I’m not sure what is appealing about risking life and limb, and wasting a whole day, to snag a deal (after all, time is money, too…). One year, I remember seeing a commercial for a department store that featured a family breaking dishes and defacing other objects in their home so that they would have a reason to go out and shop for more belongings on Black Friday.It was kind of disconcerting to watch that ad on a holiday based on gratitude.
Maybe refusing to open stores on Thanksgiving or Black Friday is just another way to stand out. Or maybe it’s indicative of the conveniences of online shopping, like the wonders of Amazon Prime and Google Instant. Or maybe everyone is waiting for the day they can rely on drones to do their Black Friday shopping for them in one fell swoop. However, I would like to think it’s (hopefully) the dawn of a new culture of shoppers who are ready to concentrate solely on stuffing the turkey, not their shopping carts.
