Toys ‘R’ Us Opens On Thanksgiving Day, Wrecks Holiday With Early Deals Some Say
Toys “R” Us announced through an official press release that they will open their stores on Thanksgiving Day at 5 p.m. The move comes as the nation debates the commercialization of the holiday season, the overall value of Black Friday sales, and whether stores should remain closed on Thanksgiving. Toys “R” Us fully embraced the shopping spirit and chose to offer early deals to their Rewards “R” Us Loyalty members that the public will have to wait for. While many shoppers will readily agree that the toy deals are great, others have stated that they’d rather stay home with family than shop for sales and deals on Thanksgiving.
Toys “R” Us representative Richard Barry shared the store’s excitement about the decision to offer early deals to shoppers on Thanksgiving Day.
“Whether gift-givers are looking to save before the Thanksgiving turkey defrosts, shop online or join the excited crowds at their local store, Toys “R” Us is THE one stop that toy shoppers can’t afford to miss this Black Friday. “Toys “R” Us customers can expect unbeatable Black Friday deals on hundreds of toys we know are going to bring smiles to kids’ faces on Christmas morning. And, our most loyal consumers can beat the crowds and get a jump start on shopping with additional, exclusive offers.”
Some of the Toys “R” Us Thanksgiving Day deals include saving $15 on Fisher-Price Bright Beats Dance & Move BeatBo, saving $70 on the Imaginarium 55-Piece Train Set with Table, and saving $150 on the 12-volt Black or Barbie Escalade. You can find more deals on the site here.
Not everyone is excited about the decision to open Toys “R” Us on Thanksgiving. Though the store states they will have more than 350 toys and items available in the store on sale and deals that provide more than $8,000 in savings, this hasn’t stopped controversy from taking hold of social media. One woman responded to the Toys “R” Us Thanksgiving Day announcement with the following tweet.
If I ever go to Toys R Us at 5pm on Thanksgiving, someone please knock some sense into me.
— kelly (@kellywils0n) November 18, 2015
Some have even called to boycott Toys “R” Us due to the workers who will be forced to leave home and shorten the time they spend with their family and friends in order to attend to all the enthusiastic shoppers anxious for doorbusters, early deals, and Black Friday prices on Thanksgiving Day.
#Thanksgiving is for family. Evaluate priorities. #Boycott @ToysRUs forcing employees to miss the holiday. pic.twitter.com/WaDhFYSFDS
— Thanksgiving Pledge (@pledgetoNOTshop) November 13, 2015
While many are using social media to express their displeasure with Toys “R” Us’ decision to open on Thanksgiving Day, the store is using social media to promote Black Friday sales. Toys “R” Us is promoting a Black Friday Twitter party that begins on Tuesday, November 24 at 2 p.m. ET. The party will use the hashtag #BlackFridayMadeEasy and will showcase more of the deals, offers, and doorbusters that will launch on Thanksgiving Day. There will be information about the hottest toys for the holidays as well. Toys “R” Us will continue these social media promotions through their official YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram channels as well.
What do you think about the controversy? Do you support or are you against Toys “R” Us opening their doors on Thanksgiving Day? Do you plan to shop or will you stay home? Are you participating in the Toys “R” Us boycott?
Early access for Rewards “R” Us members begins on Sunday, November 22. The Thanksgiving Day sale runs from 5 p.m. until midnight. Those who want information by state for their local Toys “R” Us Black Friday store hours may find the details on the official website.
[Image via Toys ‘R’ Us Media Photo]
