Wal-Mart executive: 'Employees are really excited to be working on Thanksgiving'

[KellyHabersham]

I don't have a problem with that. I mean, some people might want to stock up on reading material during the winter. I know I would, if I didn't have a huge library at home But seriously, I usually work Christmas Eve until about 2PM. The markets close early, and I'm home by 2:45.

It's definitely not a bad shift hours-wise, but those of us who are part-time don't get anything extra for working on the holiday, and when too many people are scheduled in my work area, there's not enough for everyone to do.

[Ginger Tea]

It's funny, but I remember as a kid that most places closed at lunchtime Christmas Eve and didn't open again til the day after Boxing Day... the only shop that did stay open all day Christmas Eve was the newsagents and that was run by people who didn't celebrate Christmas. I still don't remember any issues; people just did a massive shop and filled their cars the day before Christmas Eve.

Yep, though I don't recall when Sunday trading ended and stores opened longer during the week (even if it is now just an hour longer than it used to), I have no recollection of supermarkets closing earlier than 10pm (except for bank holidays and Christmas Eve NYE) as it's been that way for so long, but I have no idea about during the 80's.

[Lace Neil Singer]

During the 80s, most stores were closed on Sundays and Wednesday afternoons. There were also a hell of a lot less supermarkets around than there are now, and altho a few newsagents which were run by non Christians were open Sunday mornings and Christmas Eve, the vast majority were closed.

And no-one died of starvation, ran out of petrol or expired from boredom. Fancy that.

[Andara Bledin]

I can't say about anywhere other than the greater Los Angeles area, but stores have been open on Sundays since before the 80's. I remember walking to the supermarket right around 1980 for my mom to fetch random crap that wasn't on the weekly list but that we'd run out of.

They weren't open full hours, closing at around 3 or so, but they were open.

[XCashier]

"It’s a pretty high-energy day for associates as well.”

Translation: our associates will be severely stressed out by insane hordes of SCs demanding the world on a silver platter, running like hell to keep ahead of the mess and chaos and generally one step away from the insane asylum.

[HYHYBT]

One of the two non-Walmart grocery stores here STILL is closed on Sunday, and both of them close at night.

[Gerrinson]

I have to say, I always used to volunteer to work the big holidays - Easter, Thanksgiving, & Christmas.

The choice was between going to work to stand at a cash register or stay at home to eat with my screaming, lying, backstabbing, verbally abusive, racist, emotionally abusive, blackmailing, child-molesting family members.

As much as I disliked working retail, it still wasn't a tough choice. Work was way better than a family holiday. Hell, they even PAID me to not be with my family!

Fortunately, I have excised those people from my life and holidays are now full of joking, good food, and naps.

[Greenday]

Got a TV tonight at a local electronic stores. They had a press clipping urging people not to go shopping on Thanksgiving on all their registers. I asked and they didn't open until this morning. How responsible of them.