My Backyard

We all know about Black Friday the Friday after Thanksgiving. The day has holiday status at My Backyard. The shoppers on our staff work on Veterans’ Day and take Black Friday as a holiday.

My spouse reminded me over the weekend that there are only thirty one days until Christmas Day. She was talking days not shopping days. Of course “shopping days” is now a quaint term remembered by my generation and unknown to millions of younger shoppers. Yes children, stores were not always open seven days a week and eighteen or twenty-four hours each day.

Even the younger generation can conjure up memories of the days when at least car dealers and liquor stores were closed on Sundays. Let us see. Sunday was the Lord’s Day and stores were closed. Stores also closed on national holidays such as Memorial Day.

Churches, governments and banks observed holidays. The concept was citizens took a break from their labor to honor important moments in our common culture and shared history.

How sweet is the irony of millions of citizens working on Labor Day, banks opened seven days a week and retail stores open on Christmas Eve. I am told that some retail stores are open on Christmas Day. I have noted local coffee shops displaying banners reminding patrons they will be open on Thanksgiving. Egad!

You know the television crews will be out and about at the chimes of midnight on Thanksgiving. At least one of our staff shoppers and her friends will be in the serpentine lines of numbed shoppers waiting to be in the first wave of troops to assault a chosen retail location. I have been told the crush of shoppers when Best Buy opens its doors before first light is mayhem.

I think one could base a valid prediction of the national holiday shopping season retail prospects by observing the traffic at the intersection of Highland Avenue (Route 123), Washington Street (Route 1) and Newport Avenue (Route 1A). If the traffic is moving the retailers and the economy are in trouble. If you can walk up Red Rock Hill faster than you can drive your car up Red Rock Hill than maybe the retailers will be saved. If you can find a parking space, the retailers are doomed.

Last Friday night, my spouse and I found ourselves at Emerald Square Mall. We would be there because the puppy had eaten my cell phone and thus our journey to the T-Mobile store. We parked in front of the door at Macy’s. There were more sales’ people than patrons and there were not many sales’ people. From the third tier central gallery the holiday decorations more than met expectations.

From the top balcony, you could spy Santa two floors below. Santa was sprawled in his chair, chatting with the photographer. No children were in sight. I could find no hustle and bustle. I could find no holiday cheer. Maybe we have spread hustle, bustle, cheer and ourselves too thin in our seven day a week retail world.

Until next time.