Local Businesses Resist the Urge to Open Early This Black Friday
By: Meredith Hillgartner
Updated: November 19, 2012
"We feel like Thanksgiving should be a holiday for our employees," Griffith said. "So were going to open Friday at 9 AM. as usual."
Two local stores are fighting the trend to make Thanksgiving more about shopping and less about family and food.
"We're very blessed business wise in Lubbock," Griffith said. "We hope to do a lot of business on Black Friday and Saturday, however, we don't feel like its worth taxing our employees with early and late hour."
Jeff Griffith is the owner of Radiolab on 50th.
He said the holidays are still about spending time with family,but he says this philosophy does hurt his business.
"We are, but we feel like because it's a family holiday that, that is more important," Griffith said.
Other stores, like Malouf's, said they give their employees the day to recharge before the chaos begins.
"Just like everyone else we want to spend time with our family and give thanks for what we have," Birk said. "We want all of our employees ...to go home and have a good meal with their family, then to charge your battery and get ready for Friday."
Not all businesses have the same mentality, especially larger chains.
Stores like Best Buy and Wal-Mart will start their sales at midnight.
To make up for the lack of time, both stores say they will be having sales and specials to help with losses.
"We expect to be very busy," Birk said. "We're going to have some specials, in-store promotions that will be for Friday and Saturday."
"We have a huge sale planned for electronics and appliances," Griffith said.
