Open on Thursday? No thanks, says Von Maur.

5:00 am November 19, 2012, by Nedra Rhone

Black Friday continues morphing into “Gray Thursday” this year as more retailers announced earlier-than-ever openings. But what to make of the stores that decide not to open on Thanksgiving?

It means they are leaving quite a bit of money on the table, according to a study from the NPD Group Inc., which provides consumer and retail information. The study found retailers with extended hours in 2011 saw sales gains of up to 22 percent for the entire Black Friday weekend.

One retailer bucking that trend is Iowa-based Von Maur, a privately owned retailer with two metro Atlanta locations. Not only does the retailer stay closed on Thanksgiving, its 9 a.m. opening on Friday is relatively late compared to many other department stores.

“We don’t participate in any of the midnight sales and extreme hours,” says Amy Davis, advertising manager for Von Maur. “It comes back to a company mindset of being mindful not just of what our customers want, but really taking into consideration our employees

Shareholders Take Aim at Target Over “Black Thursday” Opening
PRWeb – Sat, Nov 17, 2012.

Dozens of Target shareholders sign employee’s Change.org petition asking Target to push back opening hours and let workers spend Thanksgiving with their families.

NEW YORK, NY (PRWEB) November 14, 2012
Shareholders are speaking out against Target’s decision to open its doors at 9pm on Thanksgiving, the first time the company has opened on Thursday instead of the more traditional Black Friday. The news comes just one day before Target is scheduled to announce its Q3 financial earnings.

Dozens of shareholders have signed and left comments on a viral petition started on Change.org by Casey St. Clair, a Target employee of six years. In less than one week, the petition has garnered more than 200,000 signatures.

Black Thursday? Stores to open even earlier on Thanksgiving.

At this rate, we may have to rename Thanksgiving “Black Thursday.”

Big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart, Toys R Us and Sears are opening their doors at 8 p.m. Thursday — just as Thanksgiving dinner tables are being cleared in many homes. Target will follow suit at 9 p.m., enticing shoppers out of their homes during the final football game of the day.

Not everybody is happy about it, but retailers are scrambling to make the most of what is expected to be a mediocre shopping season — even if it means cutting into a holiday traditionally reserved for family gatherings and decadent meals.

“There’s a segment of the population who wants to drop their drumstick and immediately pick up a door-buster,” said Brian Hanover, a spokesman for Sears. “Our customers kept telling us they wanted more flexible Black Friday shopping hours.”