RHINELANDER - Here in the Northwoods, some retail chains are resisting the urge to open on Thankgiving or before dawn on Black Friday.

Stevens Point-based Furniture and Appliance Mart has ten stores throughout Wisconsin.

They have Black Friday specials, but up until five years ago, they kept their normal store hours.

"We will never open earlier than 7 a.m. on Black Friday. The temptation is definitely there from a business standpoint. We'd be lying if we said it wasn't," said advertising and marketing director Jon Gadbois. "But our employees are far too important to us for us to take away their Thanksgiving."

The chain extended its hours from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. five years ago, but they don't plan on extending any further.

Gadbois said Black Friday is still their busiest day of the year.

"It's been something that's been coming up more and more, especially in the last four or five years, opening earlier and earlier," Gadbois said. "Our big-box competitors have continued to do that. Being a family operated company, we don't agree with that from a moral standpoint."

Rhinelander Furniture & Appliance Mart floor manager Butch Somers said he understands that employees need to be at the store when customers want to be there, but he appreciates the limited hours.

"Personally, I agree with those employees that aren't very happy as they're bucking tradition, taking away from family time," Somers said. "There's plenty of time that you can do for sales without getting into family time."

Story By: Lex Gray