USA Today Quotes Ron Friedman, Co-Leader of Marcum's Retail & Consumer Products Group, in "Black Friday" Article.
USA Today
Excerpt:
Outdoor gear and sporting goods retailer REI is canceling Black Friday this year. No promotions, no hourly sales, no doorbusters, no waiting in line.
In an unprecedented move for the modern-day holiday shopping season, REI’s 143 stores will be closed the day after Thanksgiving.
The weekend of Thanksgiving has become an increasingly competitive game of one-upmanship as retailers move store openings earlier each year. Meanwhile other retailers, including Costco and Nordstrom, have shot back by refusing to open on Thanksgiving. But no one has forgone Black Friday, the symbolic start of the holiday season, altogether, says Ron Friedman, head of the retail and consumer products group at consulting firm Marcum LLP.
“Black Friday historically is the most important retail day of the year,” he says. “It’s like a national holiday.”
