Archived The Official 9PM Black Friday Rage Thread

[keynesian]

well, I'm an overnight team member, and I wasn't scheduled to work this year or last year despite both years essentially having an "Overnight"-ish shift (this year they are late evening shifts, last year they were early early morning shifts). While I'm not terribly eager to wade into this debate, I do have an interesting scenario to play out:

So, last year, walmart said it would open thanksgiving night, and everybody felt compelled to compete with walmart. Now a whole new game of black friday brinksmanship has broken out.

Where does this brinksmanship end? Will everybody open at 6pm next year? noon the year after? will "black friday" sales start tuesday night at 11pm before thanksgiving in 5 years? will it last the whole week before thankgiving in 10 years?

Even more puzzling, what is the real appeal of these black friday sales? the money made that day is made at a loss for all of the sale items... selling a regularly priced $500 TV for at cost for $200 is still going to mean at least a $100 loss for the company in terms of labor and gasoline (read: logistics).

Ultimately, we are all playing a game of competing on larger economies of scale. Whoever has the most revenue/savings cushion to survive the loss swallowed on and leading up to black friday will win this game of brinksmanship. sure, target will last for at least 5, 10, maybe 20 years.... but if we continue to play this economy of scale game imposed on all retailers by wal mart, target will lose along with everybody else who tries to compete with wal mart on their terms.

While ceding that ground may seem equally untenable from the corporate sounding board method of making decisions in a small room in minneapolis totally removed from reality, theres something everybody who has competed with walmart already knows: you can't beat them at their own game. And since the start of the recession target has been trying to.

 

[TargetCA]

I'm not working on Thanksgiving because when I put in my shift request I specifically noted I would not work on Thanksgiving day, but a lot of folks are very unhappy with Target for not having the backbone to stand up for their team members. See all the petitions out at change.org! D you think all the retailers will take note? I'm a lucky "almost retiree" who works for the health insurance, not the pay... But many are buckling under for the extra pay. Personally I think it's a crock.

Agreed.

I feel like Target made this decisions due to its competitors (especially Wal-Mart). Since they announced it, the decision was too late that now management has to step up to make all the schedule changes, which forces you TM's to have to work on Black Friday. I mean, what would happen if they announced it earlier? Then the TM's would be pissed if they knew they shouldn't have started on THANKSGIVING.

Now the decision is too late and 9PM is going to give people a lot of headaches since its out of most people's availability. basically it feels like opening up a shift during the night, Target is crazy.

So lesson, if u work in retail, they will force you to make these decisions, hopefully it all works outs. Money is important but you can't give yourself into working @ 9PM if you dont want to. Just be thankful the economy will help those in need.

 

[XploitedFlow]

I loved how when they told us about this during first break huddle it was like we were supposed to be excited about it.

They break down how the extra pay works and its like wow Im going to be making what I should be making anyway for 2 days.

My GF is scheduled 7pm-4am thanksgiving night and I'm 3am-1130. I am counting down the days till Feb so I can go back to my real job.

I dont care about working black friday, but how can you schedule people at 7 on Thanksgiving. Its so wrong.

 

[Leonhart621]

Well I work Wed 11pm-730am, Thurs 9pm-530am, 11pm-730am Fri.

30 minutes from my place to work so that's 1 hour driving.

So 12 hours of Thanksgiving for me (if I don't fall asleep)!

And I thought stores are closed on Thanksgiving :-/

Yea, forget that Friday schedule. I'm calling out.

 

[Rarejem]

Our store is opening 9P.M. thanksgiving night for those who volunteered, but not me. I'm helping set the ad that wednesday night into thursday 10P.M.-6:30a.m. (should be fun lol). But The girlfriend and I are doing some shopping for our parents and siblings at other stores for black friday and we have work 2:30-11 friday afternoon. So we both will be like zombies not sleeping for a full day and being exhausted. And I am an Instocks TM. Joy...

I wish we were setting our ad overnight. We don't start until 4 am. Our StL has some sort of critter crawling inside of him that prevents ANY overnights. Everyone just wants to come in as early as possible and then go home. I'm working 4-10 am on Thursday and then will be back at 8:30 for the fun and games. You can't possibly be scanning on Friday, are you??

 

[researchr]

I wish we were setting our ad overnight. We don't start until 4 am. Our StL has some sort of critter crawling inside of him that prevents ANY overnights. Everyone just wants to come in as early as possible and then go home. I'm working 4-10 am on Thursday and then will be back at 8:30 for the fun and games. You can't possibly be scanning on Friday, are you??

I am also instocks, we have never scanned on Black Friday so I can't imagine we'd do it this year. We usually do exfs.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

My vote is, no in stocks till Monday.

 

[Retail Girl]

I wish we were setting our ad overnight. We don't start until 4 am. Our StL has some sort of critter crawling inside of him that prevents ANY overnights. Everyone just wants to come in as early as possible and then go home. I'm working 4-10 am on Thursday and then will be back at 8:30 for the fun and games. You can't possibly be scanning on Friday, are you??

I think at our store anyone who volunteered for the 4am to 10am shift on thanksgiving morning got out of opening that night.

 

[pfreshdude]

I wish we were setting our ad overnight. We don't start until 4 am. Our StL has some sort of critter crawling inside of him that prevents ANY overnights. Everyone just wants to come in as early as possible and then go home. I'm working 4-10 am on Thursday and then will be back at 8:30 for the fun and games. You can't possibly be scanning on Friday, are you??

WTF is wrong with your STL. I bet his lazy ass isnt getting up and setting the ad from 4 till when its done. (or if he is I would be shocked if he was coming in later at opening) I would almost bet anything. You get way bent over with ad starting at 4am and then coming in to open, that is just cruel. Your sleep is going to be so messed up. I am so glad I am doing 10-2:30 for setup and then dont have to come back til friday night at 4pm.

 

[pfreshdude]

well, I'm an overnight team member, and I wasn't scheduled to work this year or last year despite both years essentially having an "Overnight"-ish shift (this year they are late evening shifts, last year they were early early morning shifts). While I'm not terribly eager to wade into this debate, I do have an interesting scenario to play out:

So, last year, walmart said it would open thanksgiving night, and everybody felt compelled to compete with walmart. Now a whole new game of black friday brinksmanship has broken out.

Where does this brinksmanship end? Will everybody open at 6pm next year? noon the year after? will "black friday" sales start tuesday night at 11pm before thanksgiving in 5 years? will it last the whole week before thankgiving in 10 years?

Even more puzzling, what is the real appeal of these black friday sales? the money made that day is made at a loss for all of the sale items... selling a regularly priced $500 TV for at cost for $200 is still going to mean at least a $100 loss for the company in terms of labor and gasoline (read: logistics).

Ultimately, we are all playing a game of competing on larger economies of scale. Whoever has the most revenue/savings cushion to survive the loss swallowed on and leading up to black friday will win this game of brinksmanship. sure, target will last for at least 5, 10, maybe 20 years.... but if we continue to play this economy of scale game imposed on all retailers by wal mart, target will lose along with everybody else who tries to compete with wal mart on their terms.

While ceding that ground may seem equally untenable from the corporate sounding board method of making decisions in a small room in minneapolis totally removed from reality, theres something everybody who has competed with walmart already knows: you can't beat them at their own game. And since the start of the recession target has been trying to.

I completely agree and it is what I have been saying since I found out we opened at 9. BTW opening at 9 is RETARDED if they are trying to compete with walmart. Opening 1 hour later is a stupid business move if they were really trying to compete with them. EVERYBODY is going to be at walmarts opening and by the time they get to target it wouldnt be worth it. I almost guarantee if Target just opened at 3 or 4 for black friday we would get the same ammount of people to kick off with and probably about the same ammount throughout the day saving 7-8 hours of payroll per person working.