Working retail during the holidays is always rough. Especially “Black Friday” and Thanksgiving. It’s one thing to be treated badly every other day you work retail but to have that happen to you over and over again on a holiday which is meant for giving thanks? Yeesh. Well Walmart announced today that they would be opting not to be open on Thanksgiving which usually kicks off their Black Friday sales for the weekend.
“We know this has been a trying year, and our associates have stepped up. We hope they will enjoy a special Thanksgiving Day at home with their loved ones,” John Furner, the president and CEO of Walmart US, said in a statement. “We are certainly thankful to our people for all of their efforts.”
Not only are they doing this but they are also going to pay another round of hazard pay to their employees in August. From $150 to $300 depending on whether they are full or part time. The closure for Thanksgiving day will also impact Sam’s Club stores.
This will be an interesting time for Black Friday sales. It’s clear that the world is not in a state to allow so many customers in store and many people are not following the mask rule. It would be dangerous to allow people to camp overnight in close proximity or stand in line together for any length of time. And not only would it effect customers safety but more importantly the employees of that store.
My feeling is that retail stores should just nip this in the bud and close entirely to promote social distancing. Instead of cyber Monday make it a cyber Black Friday and go throughout the whole weekend. Sure you don’t get the satisfaction of getting your loot right away, but the pros outweigh the cons in this situation.
What do you think retail chains should do for Black Friday? No matter what they will be taking a hit and this year will be an all time low for profit margins. I just hope that they make the right decision and keep themselves safe.
