You guys know how much it fires me up when big corporations do bad stuff that takes advantage of their employees, customers, and society. Cases in point: VW dieselgate.
In recent years, retailers have shown unscrupulous amounts of greed in forcing their staff to wake up at insane hours – post Thanksgiving holiday – in order to keep the doors open for consumption junkie maniac animals to swarm in for deceptively average deals and trample each other in the process (in the last decade, seven people have died and 117 have been injured in Black Friday related shopping incidents). And in the last 2 years in particular, this selfish trend has slowly started overtaking Thanksgiving itself, turning what I think is the best family holiday into just another consumer sucka promotion. I dub this sad tainting of a great holiday as “Black Thanksgiving“.
The executive board room discussion that leads up to this gluttonous decision goes a little something like this:
CEO: “Hey guys – you know how we moved Black Friday Hours up to midnight from 5 AM last year? Well, it turns out that we netted an additional $2 million. What if we moved it up another 12 hours?”
CFO: “Well, only the total crazies are going to come out on Thanksgiving. With the cost of running our stores and paying staff, I’d estimate we’d net another $1 million.”
Chairman of Board: “$1 million is $1 million. But what about public backlash?”
CEO: “Backlash? We load the troughs, and the pigs come and eat. Besides – if others are doing it, why not us?”
CFO: “Yeah, but, our employees might push back.”
Chairman of Board: “Well then, they can just go work somewhere else then, can’t they?”
CFO: “But WE won’t have to work, will we?”
CEO, CFO, Chairman (in unison): “Mwa ha ha ha. Mwaaa Haaa Haaa Haaa. MWAAAA HAAAA HAAAA HAAAA!!!!”
Yes, there are some evil corporate citizens out there. And they should be called out for it.
But there are some who aren’t so bad. In fact, some are setting a good example for others. Case in point: REI. REI is not only refraining from jumping on the Thanksgiving bandwagon, but they are also jumping off of the Black Friday bandwagon altogether by closing their 143 stores and paying their 12,000 employees to take the day off as part of their #optoutside campaign. Instead of asking their employees to work that day, they are paying them to not work – and are encouraging them to get outside with their families. Here’s what their President and CEO, Jerry Stritzke, had to say:
Cute.
Now, the cynics will probably say that REI’s #optoutside campaign is just another clever marketing gimmick to get positive PR and ultimately more profits. To those folks, I’d say, “So F’ing what?!”. Gimmick or not, which of the following corporate examples propagates a kinder/gentler/friendlier/healthier/better employee, consumer, and society?
1. Company forces employees to come in at earliest hours on Black Friday and leave their family holiday on Thanksgiving
Or:
2. Company pays employees to take off Thanksgiving and Black Friday and encourage them to spend the time with their families
I’d rather support companies that opt for #2 any day of the week.
This isn’t the first time I’ve highlighted REI for their shining customer and employee treatment example. The REI membership gives members cash back and they have one of the best return policies of any retailer. REI is also one of the few employers with part-time benefits. Those who work over 20 hours receive PTO, vacation, 8 paid holidays, health and life insurance, 50% off gear, and even a 401K match (automatic with additional profit sharing). What other retailers come anywhere close to that?
As a consumer, YOU have a decision to make about who you support and who you do not, with your hard earned cash. You’re either part of the solution or part of the problem.
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I love what they are doing. Gimmick or not, we need more corps to think like them.
I would be interested to see how many of their employees that have the day off, go Black Friday shopping. If most do, are they paying for their employees to shop, and thus defeat the purpose?
Sports Authority, Big 5, Sports Chalet and Dick’s Sporting Goods all wish to congratulate REI on this heartwarming gesture.
I’m detecting a bit of cynicism there, Bill.
What a great story. I hope this positive attitude rubs off on on corporate boards to follow suite. WE need more CEO’s who value family time and the outdoors. I will definitely support them when I am looking for camping equipment in the near future.
I’ve been following your blog for a while now, and this is my favourite post yet. I’ve heard about the REI opt outside thing elsewhere already, but I love your commentary. Keep up the great writing!
Thanks, Patrick.
I wish there was an REI in my city, because I would so shop there. I’ve made a point to specifically shop at stores that refuse to open on Thanksgiving, and will continue to do so. IMHO, this madness needs to stop and the only way I can see that happening is if “the pigs stop coming to the trough.”
In my own observations, it seems like a lot of the American public is getting fed up with the idea of shopping on Thanksgiving day. I’ve talked to a lot of people who feel this way. Many (including myself) feel that it’s nothing more than a greed fest.
I admit that I probably a little biased in my thinking because my significant other works in retail (manager for a national clothing brand). Last year, he had to be at his store at 4:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and get ready to open the doors at 5:00 p.m. The store did okay (other stores in his shopping center did similarly), but the general consensus was “I left my family/friends for THIS?!?”
Luckily, he’s at a different location this year, and his current shopping center gave the stores the option of opening on Thanksgiving. Some of the big anchor stores in his mall are not going to be open on Thanksgiving, which played into my significant other’s decision not to open his store that day. Instead, he was actually get to enjoy a holiday off with our family and not have to worry about getting run over in the parking lot by some crazed maniac wanting a $2.99 sweater.
$2.99 sweater? Where?!! Just kidding… Seriously though – are the sales really worth it compared to other sales throughout the year? And if there’s something that’s a GREAT deal – will there even be any left by the time you get there?
I love to shop at REI. Because their employees are well informed and can help me locate what I need when it comes to gear. Something I don’t get at the big box stores that Bill mentioned. Yeah they may miss some sales to people who are “shopping” on Friday but then I think I’m more of their target anyway. Someone who comes in when they need something, not someone who stops by 1 day of the year.
Yes, their employees typically are very helpful. With policies like this and the benefits they offer, it’s easy for them to attract the best of the best who want to work retail.
This is wonderful! I used to work for an internet retailer that started publishing the “Black Friday” deals at 8pm on Thanksgiving, which meant I had to start setting up those deals manually at about 6pm on Thanksgiving. And the office was closed, so I had to do that work from home – which meant leaving family dinner to go home and work alone.
Not as bad as having to go into a store and start working Thanksgiving afternoon or in the wee hours of Black Friday, I know, but it has left a bad taste in my mouth for any shopping that weekend at all. I’d rather not support making employees work either day at all, and that includes online retailers.
Nothing provides empathy and gratitude like going through the experience yourself.
As someone who worked in retail. I love this!