The social media buzz in early November about Christmas and Thanksgiving is out of control this year. The Starbucks thing is insane, the Santa glacier deal was just weird and now this effusive praise for Nordstrom’s is out of control.
You haven’t heard about this? Nordstrom’s is being praised for not decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving and not being open on Thanksgiving Day.
Well that’s great. But guess what? None of that is new.
Before anyone else heaps praise on Nordstrom’s let’s have a little reality check, shall we?
There is one reason and one reason only that Nordstroms isn’t open on Thanksgiving and doesn’t decorate until store opening on Black Friday: money. It’s the very same reason many other stores do decorate early and open on Thanksgiving.
Nordstrom’s isn’t even a department store, kids. They sell overpriced clothes and shoes. That’s it. Nothing else.
Who is going to break down a door at 4am for leather pumps that cost $400?
Nordstrom’s has always hated Black Friday. So has Staples, REI and all the other retailers now receiving praise for not playing ball this year. It’s not their day so their doors will be closed. If they could make a nickel at it they’d be all over it like greedy buggers they are. But they can’t so they don’t open. Big deal.
Yet year after year Nordstroms puts up the snooty signs seen above and this year the media is praising them because, well, it falls in line with their agenda. The news is abundant today with headlines that tout “Nordstroms Takes a Stand Against Christmas Creep“.
Really? How about giving employees the 4th of July off, Nordstroms? (Nope. 2nd biggest sale of the year).
And as for not decorating until after Thanksgiving that’s pure bluster. Have you seen Nordstrom’s Christmas decorations? Yes, that’s my point. They suck. They are barely visible. If there is a retailer in America guilty of being light on Christmas it’s Nordstrom’s. They don’t even have a sale at Christmas. The only Christmas bells for them are cha-ching.
A lot of people like Nordstroms. But I don’t and I see nothing within them worthy of praise or attention.
Let’s stop making businesses the definition of Christmas, folks. Let’s stop looking to them for moral ideals. They are about one thing and one thing only. We shouldn’t be talking about them at all.
Instead, especially on this Veteran’s Day, let’s discuss those who do America and society a real service. Let’s talk about police and fire personnel, the folks who work non-stop in hospitals, the emergency dispatchers or even the folks in mortuaries, sewer departments and other such glamorous venues that keep us moving whether it is a holiday or not.
These are the folks worthy of praise, not some entity that collects money from us.
And chances are they decorate a little early.
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