Toys R Us Is Sure Taking Some Heat

[Familycare71]

Black Fridays around me are fun and friendly as well- most people are kind and patient. I always make sure to give out extra smiles
My girlfriend and I go out at about midnight- we don't stand in the lines for one particular item but we do score some great deals and have fun!
I guess it is all how you look at it

[Sugar Magnolia]

My husband has been the Store Manager at a retail store for 11 years. For the last 3 years, with Yankee Candle Company at an outlet mall. My children have never gotten to see their Dad relax and enjoy the holiday. We eat at 12 noon or 1 pm and then off to bed till 7pm to go to work. He then works from 8pm on Thanksgiving for about 20 hours straight. Goes home for 8 hours and goes back again until Sunday night. I am not exaggerating. This is what's expected of any salaried manager on that weekend. He does not get overtime or holiday pay like his employees do. At 40 years old and a degree in business management/accounting he will probably never be able to do anything different with comparable pay.
It didn't used to be this crazy, as we all know. It's just getting worse every year. What the retailers are realizing is that they are not making any more money, they are just spreading the amount out over a longer period of time. I don't know if it will end.
I usually stay out overnight so I can check in on him and his staff and bring them food and coffee. Retail ****s. Stay away from it if you want to ever have a family life. The only "sacred" day they are not open is Christmas.

:
:hug:
I was in restaurant management for 15 years. Even Christmas wasn't sacred. I still had to go in to prep for the next day. I feel your pain.

[Laurel]

I didn't read all the comments here but I think the commercial is funny and I love it! It is so creative. It makes me remember what it feels like to be a kid in a toy store. The kids in the commercial are adorable. What a fun commercial. They ARE selling toys.

That said, when my own were little we didn't watch regular t.v. during November. Well, they didn't. We did after they went to bed. We let them watch videos or do something else. I didn't want them to have a case of the gimmes and see all the ads.

Laurel

[Memc2001]

:
:hug:
I was in restaurant management for 15 years. Even Christmas wasn't sacred. I still had to go in to prep for the next day. I feel your pain.

Yeah, when we met we were both in the hotel industry. I have worked many a Christmas day, so has he. It just ****S when you have kids.
My dad was an airline pilot and while he was home most holidays there were times when he wasn't. It's life--we will all be okay. I just wish he had started a 9-5 type job when he was younger so we wouldn't still be dealing with this stuff.

[Blackcat31]

Why is what they are doing to make more profits any different that what some of use here do to make extra money?

We have open houses, parent night out, holiday hours, mom's day out services....etc..

I guess everyone is entitled to make a buck in any way they can.

If you don't like it, don't shop there but you certainly can't fault them for taking advantage of crazed shoppers.

[Cat Herder]

Why is what they are doing to make more profits any different that what some of use here do to make extra money?

We have open houses, parent night out, holiday hours, mom's day out services....etc..

I guess everyone is entitled to make a buck in any way they can.

If you don't like it, don't shop there but you certainly can't fault them for taking advantage of crazed shoppers.

^^^^That and like I am reminded often... "...not everyone is Christian or a Pilgrim here. Get over yourself" ::::

(my life is filled with grumpy old men, I love my life lovethis )

[NeedaVaca]

Why is what they are doing to make more profits any different that what some of use here do to make extra money?

We have open houses, parent night out, holiday hours, mom's day out services....etc..

I guess everyone is entitled to make a buck in any way they can.

If you don't like it, don't shop there but you certainly can't fault them for taking advantage of crazed shoppers.

I agree but I do wonder if it will backfire on them. There are an outrageous amount of posts on their facebook page regarding both topics. It's possible that these marketing tactics will lose them money...Personally, I am not bothered by it, I just started the post because I find the whole thing interesting

[Blackcat31]

I agree but I do wonder if it will backfire on them. There are an outrageous amount of posts on their facebook page regarding both topics. It's possible that these marketing tactics will lose them money...Personally, I am not bothered by it, I just started the post because I find the whole thing interesting

I think that even if it seems like this back fires on them, they will still make money. I've seen some horrid advertising tactics in my lifetime, but oddly it seems that people still buy stuff, people will still shop and people RARELY follow through on their "ethical" boycotts in real life...kwim?

A few years back they had the whole Wal-Mart is akin to sweatshops and treats their employees badly but I don't see Walmart suffering any financial set backs because of it.

K-mart is another that came to mind. Other retail stores are PO'ed at Kmart for opening earlier and thus making them feel as though they have to open earlier too....Bet ALL stores open will have full parking lots.

Remember the "Ship my pants" commercial? People were outraged. K-mart seems to be reveling in the backlash because anyone in the business knows that even bad media attention is still attention.

I've also been in the mix with sleep deprived, crazy eyed, obsessed Black Friday shoppers at 5 am before and I guarantee you not one single one of them is debating ethics and morals of the stores they are shopping in at that moment.

A deal is a deal and no matter WHO is selling it, people WILL still come/shop.

There isn't a ToysRus within 250 miles of me thank goodness.

[Laurel]

^^^^That and like I am reminded often... "...not everyone is Christian or a Pilgrim here. Get over yourself" ::::

(my life is filled with grumpy old men, I love my life lovethis )

That rings true with a friend of mine. There are three of us that are friends. One is a Christian, one is Jewish and I am an atheist (sounds like the beginning of a joke :.

But anyway, no one ever preaches or anything but the Jewish one and atheist one also celebrate Christmas. She is weak with her Judaism and just likes Christmas and when I was a Christian back in the day we celebrated so just kept it up although minimally now. Before grandchildren we didn't celebrate it at all for two years and loved it but then grandchildren came so we did again for them.

But anyway both of them LOVE to decorate for all holidays and I don't or if I do it is very minimally. Mostly I just am tired of holidays and not for any religious/non religious reasons.

I only buy presents for grandchildren and give a check to my 3 adult children. We have a nice meal. Sometimes I put up our tree and sometimes not but the Christian one just can't quit bugging me about my lackluster enthusiasm for holidays or anybody's for that matter....every single year.

Year after year she asks if I am going to put up the tree. I said maybe, maybe not. Depends on how I feel. But she said just last night "But you have children." I said "Yes, 3 adult ones and the grandchildren come only about every other week and they have a tree at home." She says "Well is your daughter going to put one up?" She knows very well my daughter is Wiccan and I say "Yes, she is because you know the Christmas tree really came from pagans in the first place." I figured that might get her goat a little. :: They call it Yule and a Yule tree. Then last year she commented on how in one neighborhood we drove through hardly anyone had their house decorated. Our Jewish friend said "Maybe they are Jewish." Well you get the idea....

She is a great person so I put up with her holiday nagging....

So last night we were in Michael's and she starts with the tree stuff. I said I had offered it to my son and hope he takes it. So darned if she doesn't see one at the store and says "Well you could get this little one then so you'd have something at least." I give up.

Laurel

[MarinaVanessa]

It's not just Toys R Us. It's Sears, Macy's, K-mart, Gap and Wal-mart that are also opening on Thanksgiving day. I'm sure there are more but these are the main big stores that will be open. Some others at our mall say that they may also be open. A friend of mine that works at the Disney Store says that they've heard from corporate that they may be open but won't announce it so that they don't get heat.

If the associates that worked that day were all volunteers then I wouldn't have a problem but unfortunately often in retail the seasonal associates HAVE to work if they don't get enough volunteers. If they refuse then they risk getting their hours cut or even fired

[Sprouts]

Christmas and Halloween are the two Highest money making holidays for stores. We've decided not to make Christmas about gifts any more, there's ways of enjoying holidays with children with out spoiling them rotten, whether one is Chrisitian or not.

[KidGrind]

Why is what they are doing to make more profits any different that what some of use here do to make extra money?

We have open houses, parent night out, holiday hours, mom's day out services....etc..

I guess everyone is entitled to make a buck in any way they can.

If you don't like it, don't shop there but you certainly can't fault them for taking advantage of crazed shoppers.

I agree with most of your point of view. I worked retail for several years in a department that produces ***** profit. Of course the business has a right to open and attempt to make their profit. With this massive store chain, opening on Thanksgiving isn’t going to give them additional profits. Most Black Friday or Thanksgiving shoppers are would buy the merchandise anyway on a different day.

It’s sad for the employees. Employees who can quit and look for another job. Yet, it’s not always that easy. Many of us have to make sacrifices for the career path we’ve taken. (I’ve sacrificed sleeping late and hoarding. )

I use to love Thanksgiving as a retail employee years ago. It was one of two holidays I was guaranteed not to work.

[Cradle2crayons]

I personally am not bothered by toys r us or any store that wants to open on thanksgiving day. It's their business. Just as I run my business the way I see fit, they are doing the same.

Up until six years ago, I worked every single holiday. It is what it is. People either choose to work at a job where holiday working is possible or don't.

If people don't agree with how a store runs, hen don't shop there. It's pretty simple.

[MarinaVanessa]

I personally am not bothered by toys r us or any store that wants to open on thanksgiving day. It's their business. Just as I run my business the way I see fit, they are doing the same.

Up until six years ago, I worked every single holiday. It is what it is. People either choose to at a job where holiday working is possible or don't.

If people don't agree with how a store runs, hen don't shop there. It's pretty simple.

That's the thing. Most people aren't getting a choice in whether or not they can work or not. It's either you work if we schedule you or you lose your income. And most people that apply for these jobs didnt expect to have to work on Thanksgiving just like they don't expect to work on Christmas. If the seasonal employees were told about having to work on Thanksgiving and they still applied then that is different, but employees that had worked long before last year never expected to have to work thanksgiving yet still had to if they were scheduled. Seasonal employees last year didn't know they'd have to work either.

[littlemissmuffet]

Where I live ALL retails stores are open every day of the year except Christmas (and some ARE open Christmas). I think it's a little weird that people get upset about it, especially when not everyone believes in or celebrate traditional western "holidays".

If you don't like it, don't shop that day. But don't get down on those who do - and don't judge the businesses that cater to it - they wouldn't be open on holidays if there wasn't a market to be.