High Sierra Topix

I don't know about you guys, but I think this is pretty awesome. As someone who worked retail and Black Fridays for a decade, this is something near and dear to my heart. As these retailers keep encroaching onto Thanksgiving itself and really illustrating the growing consumerism (or at least keeping it going?), this is a move I feel needs to be applauded.

Funny, when I first read it, I wondered what the marketing angle was. Still kinda wondering, but not worth putting any energy into.

pushing people to the online store probably. That'd be my guess.

So many department stores pushed last year to the day after Halloween. Perhaps that has something to do with it.

My wife works for one of REI's competitors here in southern California, and she found out last week that they will not only be opening early on black Friday(as usual), but they will be opening on Thanksgiving evening. I don't think anyone is happy about it.

REI has a full page ad on the last page of the first section (expensive space) of the SF Chronicle today announcing they aren't open Black Friday. So they are buying expensive ads to tell us they are not open.

I think a fair number of people may be swayed toward greater loyalty to REI because of it. I doubt it would hurt their business if they can just do as Russ says and simply order online. And that keeps you from the maddening crowds anyway. Something most of this bunch probably wants to avoid anyway. I wonder if they will have a small customer service team online for the online orders. Wouldn't matter if they are in India as they wouldn't know what Thanksgiving is anyway.

I must agree, it is working on me, as I am considering purchasing something from them now. And full disclaimer, I am not a shoppe, nor ever will be on black Friday because of the maddening crowds. In and of itself, there's a marketability to it and as Tom_H says, many of their customer base will be swayed. It's a nice shift from the encroachment of Thanksgiving that has happened in recent years.

Robow, I'm sorry to hear that. To me, it's not just about family, it's this idea that you must sacrifice this holiday for the retail establishment. I'm in a job now where I get an extended time off for Thanksgiving and about two week for Christmas (Yay Community College calendar!), and didn't realize how much more relaxing and rewarding it is. For many, it's a very exhausting time that creates burdens. I hope something works out.

Thanks cslaght. It's all good. She doesn't work on Sundays, and has most Saturdays off. Plus she gets store discounts and pro deals. Which means that we spend way too much on camping stuff, but not as much as we could!