Has it gone too far?
Target is opening its stores, including nine in Suffolk County, at midnight on Nov. 25 to kick off Black Friday. In doing so, the retail giant is requiring employees to come into work at 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
The move hasn't gone over well with plenty of Americans--more than 150,000 people have signed a petition entitled "Tell Target to Save Thanksgiving" on change.org calling for Target to push back its opening time to 5 a.m. Friday.
"A full holiday with family is not just for the elite of this nation -- all Americans should be able to break bread with loved ones and get a good night's rest on Thanksgiving," reads the petition reads, which was started by a Nebraska-based Target employee.
Target says it is just responding to consumer demand.
"We have heard from our guests that they want to shop Target following their Thanksgiving celebrations rather than only having the option of getting up in the middle of the night," a Target spokeswoman told the Associated Press.
Target is far from the only retailer opening early on Black Friday. Most Walmarts are open on Thanksgiving Day and will kick off some sales at 10 p.m. Macy's and Kohl's also open at midnight, with Tanger Outlets in Deer Park opening its stores at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
What's your take? Should stores push back their Black Friday openings? Vote in the poll below and share your thoughts in the comments.
Full story on The Huffington Post here and you can view the petition here.
