I always worked the big holidays, we were 1500 miles from family; and didn't have kids, so I did it so the people with kids could spend time with them.
We have a Major sporting goods store here in Utah that announced 2 weeks ago that they were NOT going to be open on Black Friday (day after thanksgiving) so that their employees do not have to deal with the madhouse. That would be great.
Years ago when I worked retail I was walking up to my store at 0550 on Black Friday, said hi to the people in the line: and the guy in the front grabbed me and shoved me towards the back of the line. As I tried to tell them who I was he screamed at me and said "if you move or say a word I will kill you, we were here first". As a lady yelled she had called 911 for the police to come take care of me.
So I stood peacefully at the end of the line and as 2 co workers came up I told them to stay there with me. Police pulled up a couple minutes before 0600 and asked what was going on. The guy in the front told them what was happening, including that he assaulted me and threatened to kill me. Officer said it is nice when people confess to things, cuffed him; and on the way to taking him to the police car asked if anyone else in line minded if I went to the front of the line and opened my store. Wish I had a camera. Shocked looks on their faces; one lady asked why I didn't say anything and I told her I was too tired to die that day.