Before you even sit down for Thanksgiving dinner this year, retail stores will be opening their doors to Black Friday shoppers.
Westfarms Mall announced today that it plans to open at 6 p.m., two hours earlier than last year.
"The mall's hours of operation are largely determined by our retailers based upon feedback from customers and the necessity to remain competitive in the marketplace,” Westfarms Mall General Manager Kevin Keenan said in a statement Thursday.
“For example, all Macy's and Lord & Taylor stores announced they will open at 6PM on Thanksgiving and JC Penney will open at 5PM on Thanksgiving nationwide. In addition, based on our sales results from last year, most retailers are embracing this earlier opening trend and want to be open to take advantage of the shopper demand at these times," Keenan continued.
It’s good news for shoppers looking to cash in on Black Friday deals, but not everyone is happy is about the extended holiday shopping hours. Extended hours means the Thanksgiving holiday is cut short for mall workers.
Westfarms employee who asked not to be identified said store security guards passed out letters to all mall employees Thursday afternoon explaining the new store hours.
"I was mad. I was really upset," the employee wrote in a message to NBC Connecticut on Thursday. "The idea of having to come in at 6 p.m. which is the time my family sits down for dinner was appalling. Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays in which my entire family gets together and we're able to spend the entire time together."
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According to the employee, the mall had originally planned to open at 8 p.m. but the hours were changed to accommodate the earlier hours at JC Penney and Macy's.
"I understand people want to get their sales and deals but that's what Black Friday is for!! As far as I was concerned the holiday shopping season does not officially start until Black Friday," she added. "It's just frustrating that all of the employees that work at Westfarms won't get an opportunity to spend the day with their families like they should."
