Black Friday Backlash: Companies & Movements Against Annual Shopping Extravaganza Emerge, See Which Ones Are Protesting The Holiday [VIDEO]
As several people revel in the deals they may have scored by doing Black Friday shopping on Thanksgiving Night, others have completely opted out of the shopping extravaganza altogether.
While many either head to the malls or sit in front of their computers spending their money in an effort to complete holiday shopping for their loved ones and themselves by taking advantage of deals offered by stores, many others have decided to participate in movements against the shopping holiday, in an effort to raise awareness to other causes.
Among the movements which seek to move against Black Friday all together are:
The National Parks Service: As a part of the #FreshAirFriday movement, the National Parks service is offering free or reduced admission at parks in Colorado, Arizona, Oregon, California, Delaware, Kansas, Massachusetts and Minnesota.
The State Of Rhode Island's Buy Nothing Day Coat Exchange: As part of the annual "Buy Nothing Day" movement, the state of Rhode Island is once again doing a coat exchange program to provide warm coats to needy Rhode Islanders. Those who have extra coats they don't want or need anymore can bring them to specific drop off points to donate them for those in need.
#NotOneDime: Following last year's protests in Ferguson, Missouri after the death of Michael Brown, the #NotOneDime campaign seeks to bring more focus to racial injustice in the U.S., in response to a grand jury's decision to not indict officer Darren Wilson, who shot and killed Brown last year. The movement urges everyone, but specifically those who are Black, to refrain from making any purchases that are not essential between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday.
REI: The retailer made the decision back in October to not only keep their doors closed on Thanksgiving Day, but Black Friday as well, urging consumers to instead #OptOutside.
However, some have simply opted to instead move simply against stores opening on Thanksgiving Day, and are more focused on bringing sales in beginning on Friday, and throughout the weekend.
Those movements include:
TJX Companies: The parent company of discount retailers Marshalls, HomeGoods and TJ Maxx, once again chose not to open their stores prior to 7 a.m. Friday, but this year talked about their decision in a television commercial which urged customers to "Bring Back the Holidays" with family time, instead of wasting their Thanksgiving holiday in a parking lot, camped out waiting for sales.
Small Business Saturday: The annual shopping holiday for the Saturday after Thanksgiving urges consumers to get out of the malls and big box stores, and instead visit their local neighborhood shops and bring sales back to their communities. Some are also participating in what they have called a "Break Up With Black Friday" campaign, by disabling shopping carts on their websites as well.
