Getting A Jump On Black Friday; Only 26 Shopping Days Until Christmas; Macy's Thanksgiving Balloons Fly; Store Owner Defies Call To Stay Open
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. A very happy Thanksgiving to you and also a very happy Hanukkah. Wolf Blitzer is off today. We start with a new Thanksgiving tradition, shopping. Check the calendar. This will be the shortest Christmas shopping season since 2002. Just 26 days until Christmas. So some stores are getting an early jump on the traditional Black Friday free-for-alls. Now, this is not entirely new. In years past, we've seen a few stores opening at midnight or even a few hours earlier. But for the first time, it seems like the majority of the big box stores are going all in with Thanksgiving Day sales. And that includes one major store chain that's making it an all-day event. Our Nick Valencia is at a Kmart just outside Atlanta and Kyung Lah at a Kmart in Burbank, California. We're going to start with Nick. So is it paying off or are there a lot of customers who are forgoing time with family to get into the store?</s>NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, happy Thanksgiving, Jim. You don't see too many people behind me, and that's not quite indicative for what we saw this morning. We showed up at 5:00 a.m. and it was frigid. Oh, just so cold outside, 22 degrees. It felt more like 17. There was already about 30 people lined up outside these so-called door busters and they made a beeline straight for the electronics. That's the big deal here at Kmart. And everybody in line that we spoke to say they are putting themselves through it because they want deals. As far as this Kmart is concerned, it's financially -- it's profitable for them. They're expecting about a 10 percent increase in sales or about $100,000 in revenue. Though not everyone is happy about it. There are some petitions online, Change.org has 100,000 signatures so far asking stores like Target to stay closed. They're trying to say that employees deserve time off. But the employees that we've spoken here today, Jim, they are just thankful to have a job on Thanksgiving -- Jim.</s>SCIUTTO: In years past, we've seen some violence as people rush into the stores. Did you see any of that?</s>VALENCIA: Yes.</s>SCIUTTO: The pictures we just saw there looked pretty under control, people happy, enjoying the holiday.</s>VALENCIA: No, it was pretty civil. And, in fact, Kmart here, they have this thing down to a science. They've been doing sales on Thanksgiving for about 22 years. So, they've got a system here, down to a science, like I said. Everyone that wanted a certain item, they were talked to before the stores opened so they were able to, you know, keep it in order here. Everything was pretty simple. Everybody that we talked to and saw, they were -- they were as polite as they could be on a -- on a day like today -- Jim.</s>SCIUTTO: All right, Nick, well, thanks for being there so early in the morning. Hope you get your break. We're going to go now to Burbank, California where our Kyung Lah also working on the holiday. Kyung, how big are the crowds there?</s>KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, there's a line for this register but there aren't huge crowds here. Just like Nick was saying, it's calmed down considerably. But what is different is if you check your calendar, it's Thanksgiving and there are a lot of workers here. There are actually quite a number of shoppers who have been buying a lot of things, like televisions, some of those items that are getting some deep discounts today. So things are lightening up, Jim. But you know, what is unique is at 6:00 a.m., there were 50 people lined up outside the big-box store.</s>SCIUTTO: Oh, no, you were another early riser, we're sorry. It's been an issue for some workers. We've heard of protests at some stores, even threats of strikes. Have you talked to workers there who were upset to be dragged in today?</s>LAH: Well, there's a couple of tales going on here. All of the workers we have spoken to say they are happy to be getting time and a half. These are lower paying jobs. They need the money. So this is great holiday pay. But, you know, this is the morning shift. They say, OK, well, we can compromise, make extra money, work the morning on Thanksgiving because we want to be home with families. If you come back later in the day today, those employees that are working in the evening, they're not going to be very happy. A lot of these workers say some of them had evening shifts and they switched to try to get the morning shift so they could be home with families later today.</s>SCIUTTO: Well, at least it's good to hear they're getting a little extra money, time and a half. Thanks very much to Kyung Lah in Burbank, California. Well, there is one store owner who is saying enough is enough. Holly Cassiano is a franchise owner of a Sears Hometown store in Plymouth, New Hampshire. She was asked to stay open Thanksgiving today and she said, no. We'll talk to Holly live in just a few minutes to talk about her frustrations. Now, Macy's is one of the stores that will be open Thanksgiving night, a first for the retailer. But shopping wasn't the focus at Macy's Flagship store in New York this morning. It was all about the store's Thanksgiving Day parade. An 89-year-old tradition. It was a bit of a concern this morning that the windy weather could keep the giant parade balloons on the ground. I've been to that parade since I was a little kid. Those are really the highlight. But they were allowed up, just five feet lower than usual. Jason Carroll has been there for us.</s>JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, what you're looking at down there is the very end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. These are all the parade-goers who are now finishing up and heading out. It was a great time. People brought out their kids, big kids, little kids. But the most important part is the giant helium balloons made it to the parade as well, correct (ph). It was cold but the sun came out and the balloons came out as well. Take a listen to what everybody had to say that came out to the parade. You guys came all the way up from Alabama?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alabama, Ala, lower Alabama.</s>CARROLL: And what does lower Alabama like about the parade so far?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything. The balloons.</s>CARROLL: There was some concern the balloons might not make it but they did. Any favorites that you saw?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I guess Sponge Bob.</s>CARROLL: Sponge Bob.</s>CARROLL: He's one of my favorites too. Now, you guys are coming in from Oklahoma?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.</s>CARROLL: What are you thinking so far?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it's great. Awesome, it is.</s>CARROLL: Having a good time?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes.</s>CARROLL: What did you think of the balloons?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Loved them.</s>CARROLL: Any favorites?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Snoopy.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Spiderman.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Spiderman.</s>CARROLL: A lot of favorites down there. And I know Georgia was down there as well. I'm going to reach over. You remember them, right, Georgia? What did you -- what did you guys think so far?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love it.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love it.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Spiderman and Cirque du Soleil.</s>CARROLL: Cirque du Soleil is not a balloon. But that's OK.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Spiderman was the favorite balloon.</s>CARROLL: So if you had to give it a grade, how was the parade?</s>CROWD: Awesome.</s>CARROLL: You know, Jim, that basically translates into they had a good time. So, --</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy Thanksgiving.</s>CARROLL: So, Jim, happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Once again, Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade a good time for all those who decided to come out, brave the cold weather and take a look at the balloons.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm from Puerto Rico just for you.</s>CARROLL: Bye, Jim.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love you.</s>SCIUTTO: Wow, looks like a lot of fun there, glad the balloons were up. It wouldn't have been the same without them. We have Holly Cassiano, a franchise owner of a Sears Hometown store in Plymouth, New Hampshire joining us now. She received a corporate memo to stay open Thanksgiving but she isn't doing it. Thanks very much, Holly, for coming out with us. I know how important the holiday is to you. Tell me, why did you decide to defy that company order and keep your store closed?</s>HOLLY CASSIANO, FRANCHISE OWNER, SEARS HOMETOWN STORE: Well, when I got the news that we were to be open from Sears, in recent years, it was never an issue for us to be open on Thanksgiving. But for whatever reason, they decided that they wanted to compete with other retailers and for us to be open on Thanksgiving. It was mandated.</s>SCIUTTO: Now, as you said no, did you get -- did you get any grief from the company? Any pushback? Or did they say, OK, you know, if you feel that strongly, we'll let you -- we'll let you stay home?</s>CASSIANO: No, they did not come gently. Let's just put it that way. They were very adamant about us being open. And I sent them a very kind letter stating my beliefs, that it's against what I believe in, and my religion, and that I was making for my store, that I was not going to be open.</s>SCIUTTO: Well, good for you. I know that a lot of Americans agree with you. There's a new poll from the University of Connecticut that shows that nine out of 10 Americans say they won't go shopping on Thanksgiving and seven plan to visit stores. That same poll finds that 49 percent disapprove, only 60 percent -- 16 percent approve of stores staying open for business on Thanksgiving Day. Are you going to get any penalty from Sears for doing this?</s>CASSIANO: They've already spoke about taking away bonuses for the rest of the year. To me, I'm going to make a stand for what I believe is right because I believe that the people of the United States are standing here with me. We've received a great amount of support from the area community and actually all across America. I had calls yesterday from Illinois, Ohio, from all over. So it's been very wonderful to see the public, you know, standing here with us on this issue.</s>SCIUTTO: Well, it is -- you know, times are tough, business is slow, the economy growing not as quickly as we'd like. Are you losing money by making this decision?</s>CASSIANO: Well, of course we are. But you know what? When are we going to say it's not about the money? When are we going to stand up for what's right? How are we, as Americans, going to allow corporate heads to rule over us? It's just -- it bothers me really bad that they're allowing -- this country is allowing them to dictate time away from our family.</s>SCIUTTO: I'm sure there are a lot of Americans that agree with you on that. Now, I know Massachusetts, neighboring New Hampshire, has laws -- so-called blue laws that prevent stores from opening on Thanksgiving. New Hampshire does not but I understand you're going to try to change that.</s>CASSIANO: Yes. So, my hope for this, now that I got the media's attention, I want everyone that believes that this -- that I'm doing the right thing to stand up and sign my petition on Change.org. It's listed as retailers to be closed on Thanksgiving. And allow the lawmakers to know that we're serious about this issue. They need to set precedent in the United States of America to say this is unacceptable. Stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, so people can enjoy time with their families.</s>SCIUTTO: Well, good for you. Holly Cassiano, making a stand for the holiday and for staying home. Thanks very much for joining us by Skype. To be clear, CNN has reached out to Sears for a statement but has not heard back yet. They did tell our affiliate WHDH, however, that we have encouraged all of our dealers and franchises to be open Thanksgiving evening because we believe that is what many consumers want. Well, one thing that would make the White House really thankful is a meeting, a self-imposed deadline for the Obamacare Web site. But will that happen? Find out about new delays straight ahead in a live report.