CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Shopper Denise Scott made a beeline for the discounted boots at Macy’s in Chesterfield on Thanksgiving, but said she is “ashamed” to be out shopping on the holiday.
“I always talked about people that did this. I said how could people get up from the table on Thanksgiving and leave their families to come out and shop,” Scott said.
Scott is not alone.
Thousands of people have liked Facebook pages like “Boycott Black Thursday” and “Say No to Shopping on Thanksgiving,” and signed petitions with similar names on Change.org.
Traditionally, stores opened for Black Friday, but were closed on Thanksgiving, but not anymore.
Macy’s at the Chesterfield Town Center opened earlier than ever before at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving, and Todd Abrams, a district Vice President for Macy’s, said that’s what customers want.
“People start new traditions all the time, and now it seems like Thursday is the time to shop,” Abrams said.
In fact, several customers we talked to said they prefer shopping on Thanksgiving.
“You don’t have rush and get up at what time, 5 o’clock in the morning and stand in these long lines or what not,” shopper Nu York Dee, said.
But, others said Thanksgiving should be a time to give thanks to loved ones, not a time to find bargains.
“You should be home with family rather than out shopping,” Kathy Bauer, said.
