stores are open because people show up to shop, right? no business wants to operate at a loss. to the folks who want rules, I'd say, "then don't shop on Thanksgiving. if enough people stay home, businesses won't have a reason to open." let the free market decide.

Rational self-interest. What is in your best interest? What do you value more? You may opine that commercialism has overtaken 'traditional' values but your choices determine what you value. I choose not to participate in the post-Thanksgiving frenzy, although my daughter went to work at 5AM today as a condition of her employment. She was glad to get the hours and said she would volunteer to work extra hours if they allowed her to. She understands that work is a concomitant to her further education in college. She has defined what is in her best interest.

Where are all the Capitalists Here?
Any CEO must be allowed to operate in any way that does not cause public harm. If the people didn't want to shop, then why were there all those lines???

Of course there should not be such rules. Rules should be made to protect the innocent from harm. What harm comes from opening or closing stores?
Ruth Goldman

No rules! The market can decide. Managers might be inconvenienced, so might shoppers... Oh well!

"I shop all year. People need to be with their families on Thanksgiving,"... this would make Hank Rearden roll over in his grave!!!

Yes, the rule should be the owner can choose to be open or not 24/7 365.25

Back in the day I worked mostly food service. Places like Ponderosa, which was close on Thanksgiving and Xmas. Then when I went to college I was a cold food prep guy in the kitchens at the University, since I needed to pay for school.. Again, closed for holidays, and mostly closed on weekends and running on a skeleton crew during breaks. I would have probably killed for more hours back then. So, if people are willing to work the hours and other people are willing to buy the product It seems like that should be the only thing that determines weather a place will be open or not..

There should be no rule nor law governing when a business can or cannot be open. With that said I personally choose to work in an industry where I will NEVER be required nor even asked to work on holidays or weekends. If a person chooses to work in an industry where they are required to work when they do not wish to work be that days, nights, weekends or holidays they should make a change.

The government needs to get out of our bathrooms, our kitchens, our houses and our businesses. They can't run anything right, so they want to mess up what is working.
Okay, don't want to work a holiday, tell the boss and take the consequences, quit whining. At 16 I worked (part time) 7 days a week, with 11 hours on both Saturday and Sunday. that included Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yeah, there was a syndicate involvement, but they paid on time and every hour your worked. No overtime either.
Later, as a reporter, I worked the same kind of hours, only, did not always get paid for them, politician owned paper. See what I mean?
Anyway, if the stores serve the shoppers who want them open, they will open; and if shoppers stay away, they will not open. Let it be gov.Just because people whine, doe not mean we need a law.

This subject is beneath the dignity of Galt's Gulch.

Being human, store owners have the ability to choose, and since they have volition they have the right to choose. They make policies which are the rules under which employees work. and which they deem will make their businesses prosper. If you don't like it, don't shop there, if you do like it, you can take advantage of it by having one day earlier to shop, or if you're an employee, by making extra money on that day.

Free markets should decide.

NO.

A rule to impinge commerce and trade? I would hope not...

Some of the most antiquated laws businesses have to abide by in cities are Conservative-pushed. think Blue Laws, for example.
As always," take your hand out of my pocket and leave me alone" should be the smell test for such ideas.

Pennsylvania used to have blue laws. Retail stores were not allowed to be open on Sunday. They were challenged on "seperation of church and state" grounds but since the law was written as a family day and not a religious day it was upheld. Shortly after they were ammended so that only car sales and alcohol were restricted. They were recently ammended again so alcohol is okay. Still can't sell a car. I would be okay with closing one day a week.