Softer Side of Sears: Retailer Will Not Open at 'Black Midnight'

Sears will not be opening at Black Midnight. The retailer says it will continue the tradition of opening on Black Friday at the respectable hour of 4 a.m. Interestingly, while the other outlets -- Target , Bon-Ton, Walmart and Best Buy -- say they're opening midnight because of consumer demand (and not because of Wall Street demand), a statement from Tom Aiello, divisional VP, Sears Holdings, says that it's not opening at midnight because consumers don't want to trek out into the night for sales. Statement below:

Sears listened to customers who said they didn't want to be forced to get up at midnight to get the best deals. There seems to be a pack mentality right now with retailers following each other. We'll follow the customer and what they've asked for and continue to honor the Black Friday tradition by opening up our doors at 4 a.m.

Also, with more customers going online to do their holiday shopping we've seen an increased use of our online tools like the Buy Online, Pick Up In Store function that allow customers to pre-purchase items—and access Black Friday deals—from the comfort of their homes and conveniently pick them up in-store. This trend also played a role in our holiday planning, and we're pleased that we can also give our associates, customers and their families more time together on Thanksgiving Day and throughout the weekend.

While it might be impossible to determine how consumers feel about this, we can bet that Sears employees, unlike Target employees, will not be taking up a petition against the CEO.