You can support small retailers by joining me and your neighbors on the sixth annual national Small Business Saturday on Nov. 26.
Skip the national chain stores’ annual Black Friday madness, which now starts early Thursday night. Some stores open even earlier in the day. Thanksgiving Day should be a time to be with loved ones and family. More and more stores remind me of the Grinch in staying open, resulting in too many employees having to choose between family and work. The dishonor roll of stores open on Thanksgiving in 2016 include Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, JCPenney, Kmart, Kohl’s, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, Michaels, Modell’s, Old Navy, Sears, Target, Toys “R” Us and Walmart.
Small Business Saturday began on Nov. 27, 2010. It was in response to both Black Friday (large stores) and Cyber Monday (e-commerce stores). Small Business Saturday is designed for those starting holiday shopping to patronize small and local community-
based businesses.
Give P.C. Richard credit for being the first major store to close on Thanksgiving Day. This year, the honor role also includes A.C. Moore, Barnes & Noble, Bed Bath & Beyond, BJ’s, Burlington Coat Factory, Costco, Dressbarn, DSW, Home Depot, IKEA, Jo-Ann, Lowe’s, Marshalls, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Office Depot, OfficeMax, Petco, PetSmart, Pier 1 Imports, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sam’s Club, Staples and T.J. Maxx. They are putting aside financial greed in favor of allowing their employees to stay home with family. Enjoy your Thanksgiving meal with friends and family. Get a
good night’s sleep and, instead, come out and support small businesses by shopping local.
—Larry Penner
