I'm prepared for anything as far as Black Friday goes. Personally, I think Black Friday was more fun when it started at 4am. It gave tms a chance to spend time with their families and the day went by super quick. Last year we were practically dead by midnight or 1 am. I have to give props to my team though, because they handled it like pros. I've never seen our lines move so fast. One thing I did like about 9pm is that guests generally seemed in better moods...probably due to not having to wake up at such an early hour to get the best deal. Either way, I'm going to strive to give my team the shift that they want. I don't want to take anyone away from their family if possible, but I know there are people like me that don't do much for the holidays and would rather open for the sale anyway.
I'm not optimistic that my store being open until 10pm on Christmas Eve is the wisest business decision, but I'm trying to look for the positive. I wonder if extra incentive pay will be offered again? The team should have an easy go of it from 7 or 8 on. The store should also look better on the day after too. The majority of the store will be fine concerning the Christmas Eve hours. It will be salesfloor and front end that get the shaft there.
If nothing else, I'm pretty excited for most stores to be closing at 9pm on New Year's Eve! Party it up after what's sure to be a hectic holiday season!