Some stores have opted to be closed on Black Friday despite how much profit it could bring to their business.
In a report on USA Today, outdoor and sports goods seller, REI, said they will be closed on Nov. 27 because they want people to enjoy the holiday and not get cooped up in stores. The news has raised some eyebrows especially in the business world but REI President and CEO Jerry Stritzke didn't mind.
"Any retailer that hears this will be startled by the idea," Stritzke told the source above."As a co-op ... we define success a little differently. It's much broader than just money. How effectively do we get people outside?"
Using the hashtag #OptOutside, REI hoped closing their stores would encourage many shoppers to spend some time with their family by having fun outdoor than rushing to indoor stores to look for bargains.
Stritzke even added that only a few of their employees would be on call on Black Saturday as their stores would be closed. All employees would have a paid leave.
Although some questioned the REI decision, there were shoppers that lauded their move.
"I think this is cool," Esteban Glan of Boise, Idaho told KTVB. "I like the idea that they're also promoting people to just go outside, be with your family."
"It's been all over my Facebook, it's all I've seen online," local Kameryn Raske pointed out. "I think it's really smart of them and I think they'll probably make more money than they would have."
Amid the brave REI move, Huffington Post predicted that only big companies will probably follow the "gutsy and smart" decision. The report said that as long as retailers have strong brands and a strong following, getting stores closed on Black Friday would be no problem.
As for Target, Walmart, JC Penney, Kohl's, Macy's and Sears, their doors will remain open on Black Friday as well as on Thanksgiving Day itself, according to ABC 11.
