The day after Thanksgiving, commonly known as Black Friday, has been the mark of the Christmas shopping season for many years now. The definition comes from retailers marking the point that they turned a profit, moving from being in the red to being in the black. As of recent years, retailers have begun to open doors for shoppers earlier and earlier, some even opening them at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving evening. Last year, Kmart controversially opened at 6 a.m. on Thursday and stayed open for 41 hours straight. It's a common critique by many that this takes retail workers away from their families on the holiday.
This year, several retailers are trying to prevent that. Many stores -- such as Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Bed Bath & Beyond -- have decided not to open their doors on Thanksgiving day. REI has said they will close on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday. They have started a campaign called #OptOutside which encourages both employees and customers to get outside this week.
In addition to paying their employees to venture outside, they also are encouraging customers to take pictures of their outdoor activities and post them on social media with the hashtag #OptOutside. REI is well known for being one of the best companies to work for, considering it has been on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list over 15 years in a row, and this movement further justifies that. This campaign shows REI’s commitment to their values as well as their employees considering they are not going to participate in the largest shopping day of the year.
While critics say that REI is making a mistake when it comes to making profits, others argue that their co-op structure allows them to make this decision to close its doors. REI sells memberships to consumers which allow the members to receive 10 percent back of what they spent that year. Many agree that this value-based decision helps REI build trust with both employees and consumers. It is one thing to say you believe something, and another to prove it like REI is doing.
If you're worried that you will not be able to shop and get deals from REI this Friday, REI is reminding everyone that their website, along with outside, is always open. So will you #OptOutside?
