Are Wal-Mart and Target ruining Thanksgiving?
A host of retailers, including big box stores, are opening their doors on Turkey Day. Many say the new policy will taint the holiday—and give the retailers a black eye.
What malarkey, you say?
Surely you’ve heard that the nation’s largest retailers are opening on Thanksgiving at 8 p.m., after years of nudging their opening times ever closer to the witching hour on Black Friday.
The breach into Thursday evening has outraged Thanksgiving traditionalists, irked retail employees, and given the stores involved a potential PR black eye.
Most employees want their holiday back
The lineup of national retail chains hanging their “open” signs on Turkey Day include Wal-Mart, Target, and Sears, as well as selected Gap and Toys R Us locations.
Some employees of these stores have launched an online protest via Change.org, urging retailers to remain closed on the holiday. One petition beseeching Target not to open on Thanksgiving has more than 200,000 supporters.
“Will you join me and ask Target to give Thanksgiving back to families and not open on Thanksgiving evening?” the petition asks.
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