Black Friday 1994

[saturnfan]

Fair enough, I still don't find it that offensive though. Making a customer wake up at 3am after a holiday that involves the over consumption of food and liquor is pretty ridiculous, but I wouldn't say it is shameful. Only the people who go nuts and become violent over a flat screen tv, as you have suggested, are the ones who have shamed themselves.

Good thing there is amazon.com

[swiftzx]

Little Jimmy should get a Genesis with Sonic the Hedgehog.

[Luke]

I was being somewhat facetious, but that probably didn't come across clearly. Upon rereading it, part of my post sounds overly harsh.

I know Black Friday creates great deals for those who otherwise couldn't afford it. BUT that fact that retailers make them jump through hoops and degrade themselves in the spectacle of the whole thing is despicable. That people are willing to do this to themselves is almost as bad, and appeals to that base instinct I refered to earlier. One need only look at the violence and commotion of a Black Friday rush to see that retailers are being irresponsible in working people up into a frenzy.

I'd prefer that Black Friday be made illegal, that people would get over the commercialism of the whole holiday season, and that little Jimmy learned to live with whatever he got.

Comes back to personal responsibility. The "retailers" don't make anyone "jump through hoops" or "degrade themselves". The consumer can do whatever they want to, regardless of the deals the retailers offer. There is no argument here against Black Friday; might as well abolish all sales with this frame of mind.

people don't trample others to death and leave them behind simply to buy gifts for loved ones.

i appreciate your neo-utopian sensibility regarding black friday, but the world doesn't work that way, and i'm sure you know that, having a tight grasp on reality and all.

Your post reminds me of a Mitch Hedberg joke: "McDonalds has posters everywhere of a guy winning their Monopoly campaign. They might as well have a picture of a guy choking on a hamburger with the tag line, 'this Happened....Once'."

No whatever-utopian sensibility here, I just know what does work in retail. And it's obvious I don't have a tight grip of reality, as I'm married.


But you guys are as Ralph Wiggum would call Grade A morons if you'd like to do away with Black Friday. Without it, retail in the US would pretty much vanish.

[dsheinem]

Comes back to personal responsibility. The "retailers" don't make anyone "jump through hoops" or "degrade themselves". The consumer can do whatever they want to, regardless of the deals the retailers offer. There is no argument here against Black Friday; might as well abolish all sales with this frame of mind.
.....
No whatever-utopian sensibility here, I just know what does work in retail. And it's obvious I don't have a tight grip of reality, as I'm married.

But you guys are as Ralph Wiggum would call Grade A morons if you'd like to do away with Black Friday. Without it, retail in the US would pretty much vanish.

So there's no such thing as corporate responsibility regarding promotions? Is it ethical to offer six $100 laptops and four $300 Plasma TVs at a store for a 5am opening when you know from experience that customers will punch, claw, and kick one another to get one of those items?

Black Friday sales are the one time a year when it is common for prices to be lowered to absurd levels well below cost -- and while shoppers can certainly do anything they want, our consumerist and ad-saturated culture has conditioned many into thinking that Black Friday is their one annual chance to buy some piece of happiness that they otherwise couldn't afford. Like I said before, many of these promotions prey on those customers with low income who will resign themselves to the cattle run of a Black Friday morning because they feel they need some material item and this is the one day when companies will offer it at a price they can afford. Meanwhile, those with more disposable income have the luxury of choosing to opt out of the madness and pay regular sale prices.

I'm not arguing against all sales, and I've worked in retail and also know what works and doesn't. Your perspective on business practice isn't somehow more valid than mine just because the bottom line says so. I think Black Friday is irresponsible and do really wish it would stop, or at least be regulated in some way. The fact that we are injuring and killing each other once a year over cheap electronics is despicable, and it would be worth tossing the "tradition" just to save a few lives.

[lisalover1]

I'd prefer that Black Friday be made illegal, that people would get over the commercialism of the whole holiday season, and that little Jimmy learned to live with whatever he got.

[Luke]

So there's no such thing as corporate responsibility regarding promotions? Is it ethical to offer six $100 laptops and four $300 Plasma TVs at a store for a 5am opening when you know from experience that customers will punch, claw, and kick one another to get one of those items?

Black Friday sales are the one time a year when it is common for prices to be lowered to absurd levels well below cost -- and while shoppers can certainly do anything they want, our consumerist and ad-saturated culture has conditioned many into thinking that Black Friday is their one annual chance to buy some piece of happiness that they otherwise couldn't afford. Like I said before, many of these promotions prey on those customers with low income who will resign themselves to the cattle run of a Black Friday morning because they feel they need some material item and this is the one day when companies will offer it at a price they can afford. Meanwhile, those with more disposable income have the luxury of choosing to opt out of the madness and pay regular sale prices.

I'm not arguing against all sales, and I've worked in retail and also know what works and doesn't. Your perspective on business practice isn't somehow more valid than mine just because the bottom line says so. I think Black Friday is irresponsible and do really wish it would stop, or at least be regulated in some way. The fact that we are injuring and killing each other once a year over cheap electronics is despicable, and it would be worth tossing the "tradition" just to save a few lives.

I hate the quote by quote thingy that a lot of posters do, so please bare with me on this as I'll jump around a bit.

Last things first. Your perspective on retail is just as valid as mine, although I would argue that I have much more extensive experience and knowledge on the subject. That doesn't take anything away from your opinion, at all.

First things second. No, there is no corporate responsibility regarding sales. None.

What is price to a retailer? Nothing/Everything. In retail, price is ambiguous. Price means nothing without relevance to the market. You price items at whatever you'd like to, one of the first lessons on pricing strategy; Price items at what the market bears.

And quit this nonsense that "Black Friday is the only day where sales are so low" garbage. If people are so empty headed that they are conditioned to think there is only one big sale a year, I say farewell to the people who get trampled to death. Only leaves smarter people alive.

What should be said is that Black Friday is a day where retailers drop prices on a lot of low selling items, and try to get you to get extra items at an assumed discount because of perceived value. Best Buy isn't selling a Wii with three games for $50, they're selling 20 year old DVD's at a price that to cover cost and PC's that have a 5-year life span. You won't see 7080p Sony 3-D ready TV's for $500 either.

The sales are out there everyday, some people are too lazy to look for them. This in turn helps retail stores, and if it helps weed out the ignorant population, good. Black Friday is great for businesses, and great for people. Can't see how anyone would argue against that.

[YoshiEgg25]

I'd prefer that Black Friday be made illegal, that people would get over the commercialism of the whole holiday season, and that little Jimmy learned to live with whatever he got.

Is that the evil dude from the Kris Kringle movie that's on CBS during Christmas season?

[the7k]

I've never been to a Black Friday doorbuster. Everytime it came along, I either was too young, too poor, too tired, or had to work.

This might just be the first time I'll be able to get in on a doorbuster - I have to work, but not until 2pm. Wal-Mart has a few games I'd actually like to get for $10 or less, and I might even try to snag a TV for the bedroom.

[aaron]

Black Friday is great for businesses, and great for people. Can't see how anyone would argue against that.

from a purely financial standpoint, then yeah. at it's core, however, it's a disgusting display of human selfishness; from the people pushing, kicking and screaming at each other to get the items, to the marketing execs and business owners who encourage this type of behavior to drive sales to line their (and their shareholders') pockets. i can't see how anyone would argue against that, either.

[Luke]

from a purely financial standpoint, then yeah. at it's core, however, it's a disgusting display of human selfishness; from the people pushing, kicking and screaming at each other to get the items, to the marketing execs and business owners who encourage this type of behavior to drive sales to line their (and their shareholders') pockets. i can't see how anyone would argue against that, either.

From my view point:

I hold a sale that allows parents to purchase the items their kids want at a price the parents can afford.

A teeny-weeny-tiny minority of parents, who are assholes to begin with, act not-surprisingly like assholes.

And that's my fault how?