Employees and Consumers Ask US Retailers to Save Thanksgiving

Target, Walmart, Kohl’s, and Sears are among the long list of retailers facing a consumer backlash on Change.org over “Black Friday creep” following Walmart’s announcement that it would open its doors at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving evening.

In response to this news, more than 20 new petitions have been created on Change.org calling on retailers to allow families to spend Thanksgiving together and stick to Black Friday opening times.

Casey St. Clair of Corona, California, is a Target employee who created a Change.org petition asking the company to “take the high road and save Thanksgiving.” In her petition, Casey writes:

“I am a recent transplant to California with my boyfriend. I don't have any family out here and having to work on Black Friday prevents me from going home to the east coast to see my family. My boyfriend does have some family out here so Thanksgiving is the one day we get to spend with people we know. I currently work two jobs, substitute teach and work Target at nights and weekends, so having Thanksgiving off really does give me that one day to relax and visit family I otherwise have no time to see.”

Jennifer Ann of Vernon Hills, Illinois, has been looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with her entire family, but fears that it won’t be the same if her brother, a Target employee, will be called to work on Thanksgiving. Jennifer writes in her petition on Change.org:

“Family has always been important to me and Thanksgiving is all about family. I love seeing family that we haven't seen in years and spending time with each other on the only day when we can all get together. Last year, it became clear to me that for some large retailers, this holiday isn't about family or being grateful at all.”

Last November, more than 200,000 people joined Target employee Anthony Hardwick’s Change.org petition calling on Target to save Thanksgiving for its employees, their families and consumers by opening on Black Friday instead of on Thanksgiving itself. In addition to receiving national media coverage, Hardwick’s petition inspired more than 150 other Change.org petitions asking major retailers to save Thanksgiving and put employees and families first.

“Building off of the incredible energy we saw around Black Friday opening times on Change.org last year, it’s remarkable to see so many employees and consumers calling on retailers once again to ‘Save Thanksgiving,’” said Charlotte Hill, communications manager at Change.org. “It’s clear that the concerns reflected in Casey and Jennifer’s petitions are resonating with people.”

Edited by: Kristin Craik