MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Shoppers might be excited about Black Friday deals, but there are plenty of protesters, too.

Earlier this week, Casey St. Clair, a 6-year Target employee, hand delivered more than 350,000 signatures to the company’s corporate headquarters, asking Target to reverse its decision to open at 9 p.m. Thanksgiving night.

But the company didn’t budge. Its CEO Gregg Steinhafel, who was at the Bloomington Target Thursday night, said the company has to keep up with market trends.

“It’s almost been like an arms race,” he said. “But we have to be responsive to the competitive environment.”

While Steinhafel said the company values its workers, he isn’t against opening stores earlier on Thanksgiving next year. The only days that are off limits, he says, are Christmas and Easter.

Now that Black Friday has launched, Target will move to its next venture: launching a line with Neiman Marcus.