Shopping

Thanksgiving dinner, the way it is today.

SHOPPING

Unless you’ve been living in a cave on Baffin Island, or some other out-of-the-way location, you must be reeling from all the buzz about the retail trade’s problems associated with Thanksgiving Day shopping. You might want to hear the point of view of a retail brick and mortar store worker. I’ve been employed for Target for fourteen years, so I ought to have some ideas to offer.

It’s pretty obvious to me that holiday shopping has become more popular than eating a great deal of food on a single day in November. Certainly, the burden on those who cook turkeys and clean the house and set tables for guests has added to the stress level of these unfortunates. I propose that the United States do away with the national holiday of Thanksgiving and create in its place a National Shopping Day. On that official day where schools, post offices, government centers and banks close their doors, but leave malls, Mom and Pop shops, Big Box chains and Internet spigots of bargains free to attract the consumers, the problems of early bird specials and long lines can be alleviated. All those frenzied holiday tigers who haunt parking lots and play loss leaders of retailers like a lottery can now relax and eat turkey or pork chops or fried fish whenever they want.

This change in American habits will greatly improve the lives of thousands of retail store workers who have been unable to enjoy Thanksgiving dinners with their families for the last several years.

Lea Hope Becker