Most Americans, including myself, enjoy a good shopping deal. Simply hearing the word “sale” can make eyes light up. Black Friday has swept America like a storm throughout the past two decades. According to data from the Saturday after the event in 2014, from the research firm ShopperTrak,  shoppers spent about $9.1 billion at stores on Black Friday.

It feels like more and more big chain retailers will be open, or opening,  around or before dinner time on Thanksgiving. Companies like Walmart, Best Buy, Macy’s, Kmart, and Target are just some of the places that will be open when families are hopefully at home enjoying the holiday. This week I drove past a Starbucks that is already advertising that they will be open on Christmas day. This obsession that our country has developed is truly sickening. 

Every year there are images of people waiting in lines throughout the whole day of Thanksgiving, or horrible news reports about violence, trampling, or even deaths due to chaos that arises when the shopping begins. There is no sale worth that in my book.

I am currently working retail for a small local company, and I fully understand the importance of holiday shopping to keep the store going. Our owners chose not to partake in the Black Friday madness, because you can’t put a price on spending a day giving thanks for what truly matters in life. It is ironic that there are trends of local businesses sitting out, while large corporations feel the need to participate.

Some big name companies, REI in specific, have decided to put a foot day and close their stores on Friday. On their website they state that “The outdoors and online are always open.” REI’s #optoutside has gained a lot of publicity, and is expected to lead to good sale numbers for the company because those who agree with the refusal will feel loyalty to shop with them in the future.

There are so many alternatives to the long lines and chaos: spend time with those who matter, show appreciation for what you’re thankful for, eat great food, and simply just relax and enjoy the day. For some, the deals can be hard to pass up, so if there is a need, hop online and make it quick.

Although this is a Christmas quote, it is something that everyone should keep in mind throughout the whole holiday season. “It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

The Grinch truly did say it best.