The Monster That Ate Thanksgiving

Last night as I was crunching on over-fried chicken wings instead of a big juicy day-old turkey leg it hit me. That darn retail monster took my scrumptious Thanksgiving leftovers. Let me explain…after Thanksgiving Dinner at my mother’s house our family sat around the table talking like we usually do waiting for our food to settle to make room for dessert. Towards the end as people started leaving my mom proceeded to promptly clean up and pack up the whole thing.  So quickly in fact that she didn’t even pack up any food for me to take home. You see she and my brother were in a hurry to get to the stores for early Black Friday sales. I thought nothing of it at the time and went home empty handed thinking I’d be back sometime this weekend and there would probably still be a ton of leftovers for me. But this is besides the point. I’d never seen my mother in such a hurry to catch a sale. After all, she’s no shop-a-holic. Then again, I don’t think Black Friday sales ever started on Thanksgiving Day either!

This got me thinking…if retailers realize that they make more profits by drawing people into the stores for Black Friday deals earlier than usual, where will it stop? Maybe 5 years from now Black Friday sales will begin at 7 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day! Who’s to say how far retailers will go to make record profits in a struggling economy (or any economy for that matter). Will Thanksgiving just become another retail holiday? Those who work in the retail sector are already very aware of the impact this will have on their family time. But will the rest of us eventually rush through or forgo the family time that was once an integral part of this holiday all together? I believe it could happen faster than we imagine.

Photo via Flickr by By Hotcouponworld.com

A Reuters article I just read on Yahoo confirmed that the move by some retailers to open before midnight on Thursday could put pressure on other retailers to do the same. They also stated that retailers who opened early brought in more non-traditional Black Friday shoppers—primarily families coming in together and buying more than just the "doorbuster" sale items. This all fits the scenario that played out after our Thanksgiving dinner. I wouldn’t call myself a traditionalist, but besides the typical December holidays (Christmas, Hanukah, etc..), Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the most family-oriented holidays of the year. Will the retail monster change this over time? I think it could. Keep a watchful eye. Five years from now your Thanksgiving Day tradition might involve more shopping and less bonding.

Check out this funny video called Sale Nights. It’s a song spoof of the hit song, "Some Nights" and an anthem for Black Friday shoppers. Enjoy!