I think Black Friday was a way for retailers to try and make an assessment on future sales for the holidays. It makes sense: manipulate your customers with sales, decide what you need to balance your inventory and try to empty the shelves by the new year. Sales are maximized and the retailer pays less on inventory taxes.
So, the idea was good, but now the term Black Friday, in my opinion, is synonymous with lunacy. If you don't believe this, read the news reports. Between the fights, pepper spraying and shootings, the average consumer will now weigh the few percent in savings to survival. There's no logic in getting a tremendous deal on a big screen television if it will only be watched by family members, while they grieve and ignore crummy holiday reruns.
Maybe I'm wrong, but if I am, Black Friday isn't a good day to shop. It's better to avoid any shopping until the day after Christmas, when the retailers realize their mistakes and try to dump their entire inventory before the first of the new year. Family members will understand, especially when they realize your holiday personality was so much better because your didn't have to shop with the lunatics. Celebrate Christmas as the holiday of peace shared with families. Wait until after Christmas for the madness and end the madness by getting drunk on the last day of the year.
Makes me think of Yogi Berra: Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded.
ReplyDeleteI never go shopping on Black Friday anymore. Generally these days I plan to have all my holiday shopping done before Thanksgiving. I think it's a vastly superior plan, there's almost no lines, you can find what you need, and the staff is usually pleasant and helpful instead of exhausted, overworked and abused.
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