Walmart, Sears To Open on Thanksgiving Evening

[jamesy]

for anyone who is having a miserable time with their family on thanksgiving, excuse yourself to go shopping

"I'd rather go to Walmart than spend another moment with you."

[DAngel]

I wonder if there's going to be any pepper spray action this year

[Cachoo]

Many years ago as a teenager I had a job at K-Mart and used to laugh during the holidays because people simply lined up behind the blue light and followed it around from blue light special to blue light special. We were also paid in cash instead of checks and needed to know how to count change back to a customer. How different it all is now except that there is this madness around the holidays.

[Jenny]

Many years ago as a teenager I had a job at K-Mart and used to laugh during the holidays because people simply lined up behind the blue light and followed it around from blue light special to blue light special. We were also paid in cash instead of checks and needed to know how to count change back to a customer. How different it all is now except that there is this madness around the holidays.

Me too!!! I also remember that our discount was given in a voucher only redeemable in store. I swear half the people there had spent their pay before they left the store each Friday.

[smurfy]

I remember 5 years ago that KMart was open during the day of Thanksgiving.
I had bought a new home, closed on Wed, and the movers were coming Friday. So I spent most of Thanksgiving day getting my new place ready, and found out by accident that KMart was open. I stopped in around 2-3pm and it was not crowded. It was more last minute shopping, don't remember any big signs for Sales or anything like that. I think they were closing @ 4 and staff said it was not bad.
Last year I went shopping at midnight on Thurspm/ Friday - first time in 18 years. Never again!!!

[Cachoo]

Me too!!! I also remember that our discount was given in a voucher only redeemable in store. I swear half the people there had spent their pay before they left the store each Friday.

I forgot about that voucher! I thought the wood-paneled cash room had the look of a bunch of old ladies smoking and playing poker when they were actually separating piles of money and paying us. It is a wonder they weren't robbed.

[MacMadame]

needed to know how to count change back to a customer.

I remember that! I worked at Gimbles during the holidays (or was it Gimbels?) They don't exist any more either.

[Cachoo]

Gimbel Brothers (Gimbels) was an American department store corporation from 1887 until 1987. The company is known for creating the Gimbels Thanksgiving Day Parade, the oldest parade in the country. Gimbels was also once the largest department store chain in the country. By the time of its closure in 1987, Gimbels had 36 stores throughout the United States.[1]

I never was in a Gimbels: Was it like Macy's? (I suspect counting change back is like riding a bike---you never forget.)

[Garden Kitty]

Kids nowadays won't have any idea what the line "Would Macy's tell Gimbesl?" means in Miracle on 34th Street.

(Oh yeah, and get off my lawn )

[Jenny]

I forgot about that voucher! I thought the wood-paneled cash room had the look of a bunch of old ladies smoking and playing poker when they were actually separating piles of money and paying us. It is a wonder they weren't robbed.

Whee Kmart voids! Such happy times for me - I worked there throughout high school and college, and they paid slightly above minimum wage, so I felt like I was rolling in it Speaking of working Thanksgiving - we were never open on that day and indeed no Sunday shopping back then, so as a part timer you scrounged for every hour you could get. In college I worked my course schedule so I'd have at least one free day to work a full shift, and I'd take all the full timers' shifts when they went on holiday. Back then the women who worked full time were usually doing it for fun money as a supplement to their husbands' income - crotchety old broads, god love'm! Somewhere, I still have the certificate and photo they displayed when I was Employee of the Month

[Cachoo]

Whee Kmart voids! Such happy times for me - I worked there throughout high school and college, and they paid slightly above minimum wage, so I felt like I was rolling in it Speaking of working Thanksgiving - we were never open on that day and indeed no Sunday shopping back then, so as a part timer you scrounged for every hour you could get. In college I worked my course schedule so I'd have at least one free day to work a full shift, and I'd take all the full timers' shifts when they went on holiday. Back then the women who worked full time were usually doing it for fun money as a supplement to their husbands' income - crotchety old broads, god love'm! Somewhere, I still have the certificate and photo they displayed when I was Employee of the Month

Ok--I have this odd memory and I think it is correct and maybe you can verify: I was pulled off of the register and placed in the "millinery" dept which included accessories like ladies hats and gloves but also lingerie. I just thought that name was either inaccurate or old-fashioned or both. I liked that department though. Do you remember a millinery department? I don't think I was ever Emp of the Month though! And what is it about being a young girl/woman working with a bunch of much older women who say just exactly what they believe?

Gimbels and "Miracle on 34th Street"---I had not put the two together but of course that was where Kris Kringle sent shoppers when Macy's didn't have the product.

[Matryeshka]

My mom and I went when stores first did this and we left pretty quickly without buying anything. It was depressing. Not only for us but it was depressing seeing the employees who would rather be anywhere but at work. We never did it again.

This is probably not true for everyone, but I worked Thanksgiving evening once, and I worked Christmas Day once, and it wasn't bad at all. Thanksgiving evening, I was ready for something to do, and I think moving around after a meal, pie, and leftovers for dinner was really good for me. Far from being miserable, most of us were in a jolly mood. It was relaxed, it was casual, and most of the shoppers were just making their lists, so it was easy time-and-a-half money. And because I volunteered to work on Thanksgiving, I got Black Friday day off!

Back when there were video rentals , the place I worked stayed open on Christmas Day. To be fair, they decided everyone should work two hours so no one had to be away from their families/friends for long, and with everyone working, it was fair. I volunteered for the morning--by that time, the youngest person in my family was my nephew, and he was 12! My youngest brother was 16, I was 20, so we all slept late. A lot of the people there had families, and when I volunteered to do an extra hour from 8-11 (so did another girl who was about my age, same situation) most of the staff thanked us, as did the managers for volunteering. The few people that came in were relaxed, happy, grateful we were open. It was a really nice experience and I still felt the Christmas mood. Plus, the perks after were great. I got off both New Years and New Year's Day, and the staff was really nice to me till I went back to LSU. I got a great recommendation too.

While big box stores probably don't do it this way, I think working on a holiday is fine so long as you have volunteers who want to do it, or you make everyone work very briefly. But I don't think anyone's job should be in jeopardy if they don't want to work on a federally-recognized holiday, and if the store does have to remain closed all day, then it should be closed. I don't think Big Box stores think like that

[Jenny]

Ok--I have this odd memory and I think it is correct and maybe you can verify: I was pulled off of the register and placed in the "millinery" dept which included accessories like ladies hats and gloves but also lingerie. I just thought that name was either inaccurate or old-fashioned or both. I liked that department though. Do you remember a millinery department? I don't think I was ever Emp of the Month though! And what is it about being a young girl/woman working with a bunch of much older women who say just exactly what they believe?

I worked in Ladies Wear for the bulk of my Kmart career (!), which included children's wear, lingerie (pretty sure it was called that) and accessories, which includes purses, socks/hosiery, gloves, belts and hats (which would be the millinery). I also worked the pet department for a time and became expert in catching escaped hamsters and birds, cash, layaway, and the service desk - yes, I actually said "Attention Kmart shoppers! We have a blue light special!"

I remember fondly all the ladies -there were a bunch of Brits including one thin redhead with a thick Scots accent, an another heavily made up woman from Liverpool who sounded like the Beatles Just last night I remembered another dear - a widow who had lost her husband years earlier but had a really great attitude. She used to look forward to oldies movies on PBS on Saturday nights, accompanied by a bottle of red wine All the ladies loved to hear about boyfriends, and often gave really good advice and encouragement.