So I've seen a lot about Black Friday lately and I had to put in my two cents.
Black Friday is a phrase coined in the 60's for when retailers went from being in the red to being in the black - profits-wise. But the idea of shopping on the day after Thanksgiving is actually from around 1924 when the Macy's parade started to kick off the holiday season.
Yes, there are deals to be had online and yes, it starts earlier every year. But, I wanted to look at some of the posts I've seen:
1. I'd rather spend the time with my family. I do spend the time with my family. When I go shopping on Black Friday I do it with my mother, sister(s), sister in law, and daughter. As my nieces grow, they will come too. We keep each other warm in line, we laugh and joke, we help pick out what the others' kids will like, we wait in line together and catch up in an environment where there's no food to dish out, no dishes to clean, and no football.
2. Oh, the poor people who have to work that day. I have been on the other side of the register at 5am. The people who work that day are there for two reasons: A. If they weren't there it would be an unpaid day off - and people who work retail need every paid day they can get. B. A discount at Target over the holidays is a BIG advantage.
3. Thanksgiving isn't even over yet! First, unless you live under a rock from Halloween to Christmas, you'll know that not many people care about thanksgiving anymore. That's a whole other blog post, but come on! Second, I don't know about your family, but our tradition puts Thanksgiving dinner at 2:00, meaning even with the slower pace of a holiday meal, by 5:00 we're done - dishes back in the china hutch, pies picked over, turkey salad made... all that's left is the turkey coma and shopping replaces that with exercise.
4. The deals aren't that great - it's just a ploy to get you to spend more. God forbid a retailer try to make you spend money in their store! Call the cops it's rampant capitalism!! Ok, joking aside, of course there are some deals out there that aren't great when you look at them closer and yes they are trying to get you to spend more. But, that's where research and common sense come in. Look at a price - would you pay that for an item normally? Would you pay more? Is it something you've been wanting to get anyway? If you buy for the sake of buying you will get screwed. But savvy shoppers can get awesome deals and have some fun too.
5. What about the crazy people? I don't want to get trampled. OK, there are two options here (well three if you count just stay home). You can stay calm, stick to the edges of the crowd, say please and thank you and excuse me and be willing to maybe miss out on the loss leader sale. Or you can become one of them and run like a madwoman towards that must have toy in the back using your elbows to clear a path (why do you think I've been in Karate for a month?) :)
P.S. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES GO TO WALMART AS THEY OPEN THEIR DOORS - THAT IS CRAZY AND COULD GET YOU KILLED
Anyway - as I see it, Black Thursday/Friday is a treasured tradition that has hit its peak. It will eventually fall back into obscurity, shut down or reduced by the Amazon crowd. So, whether you shop on line or in line - just shop and help our economy grow.
