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| Via Wikimedia Commons and BlackFriday.com |
You won’t find me setting foot outside the house on the Friday after Thanksgiving. That’s partly because I have a deadline to meet and lot of revision to do. But I’ve never been a Black Friday shopper, because there’s nothing I hate worse than a crowd!
Lots of people don’t feel that way. I know some people who love shopping at midnight – or who view Black Friday as a yearly tradition, going with family members or friends to pick up bargain Christmas gifts. And I can see that – or at least, I could see it with the old Black Friday.
Not the new kind we have now. Not the kind where shoppers use pepper spray on others to get to the video games first. Not the kind where muggers wait by your car to shoot you for your merchandise when you come out. Not the screaming, elbowing, ugly mass of people I’ve seen on the news for the last few years.
I don’t believe it’s the economy that created this. These people aren’t trampling each other for food and clothing. They’re doing it for electronics.
I don’t believe they’re trying to get Christmas gifts for their precious children either. Not for a second. They’re buying the items for themselves, or to resell on eBay.
The retail community has encouraged and promoted this for their own benefit. They’ve set up a yearly invitation for the criminal element, the people with no ethics, the greedy and the truly ruthless to congregate in specific places at specific times to do their worst.
Regular bargain shoppers don’t stand a chance. And I think the retail stores should be legally culpable for anyone injured during the mayhem they have fostered.
What about you? Will you shop on Friday? If so, where and when? Daylight or nighttime? Do you feel safe at a Walmart? At a Best Buy?
Honestly, Black Friday is probably the last day on the calendar year that I would enter a store. I can’t stand the lines, cranky people, and having to park a bazillion miles from the stores because all the parking stalls are occupied.
All the crazies come out on that day. I’m staying home, where it’s safe. lol
I would never. I kind of hate Black Friday, and in the past year or two when I read about the behavior of retailers and customers alike, I hate it even more.
I used to go about 20 years ago with my mother-in-law but it was not that crazy and it was fun. But I’m with you, it’s so not worth it. Especially since you’re just saving a few more dollars on something than what it’ll be a week or two later. And really, how many electronics and expensive stuff do we need? It just encourages wasting money.
In France, the have three nationally organized ‘sale’ periods every year to prepare for the new seasonal merchandise. Business who do a sale on a massive scale out of these defined periods have to pay fees and fines. However, yes, on the very first day of these ‘sales’ we see a lot of the same. People get there really early, looking to get the most expensive items at the cheapest price before there’s no more of them. Not my thing, though.
I’ve never done it and didn’t realize it was that brutal. Friday mornings are for sleeping if the kids don’t have school.
I live in Canada but the concept is starting to sneak in here. There’s no way I’m going into a store that has Black Friday. I value my life too much. 🙂
Ugh. I’m with you all the way — I never go near a retail facility on Black Friday. My tradition is to spend the day after Thanksgiving at home with a good book and a up of tea.
Like all the other commenters, I am not a Black Friday shopper. Actually, I’m not much of a shopper. 🙂
Black Friday is like those nights of drinking back in college… you do it, and then you have no idea WHY you did it … and then you do it again. But this year, I’m thinking about opting out. The crowds don’t bug me so much as having to get up early and wander around in the cold, sometimes for no reason if I get to the store too late to buy what I want!
We have someone who raids our local Target on a regular basis and snatches up all of new DVDs for resale.
Not leaving the house that day. I do all my shopping online.
No way…even if I didn’t hate crowds and greed, I had to work too many Black Fridays to ever shop on one.
This is a great post, just loved it.
~bru
Would not be caught dead shopping on Black Friday. I hate shopping on a regular day and crowds make me cry.
Nope! No thank you. Yuck–and for all the reasons you state (except the editing deadline! ;). But… I DO shop on cyber Monday. I confess. 😀 xoxo
Happy Thanksgiving! <3
People can be so horrible when it comes to ‘stuff.’ This year my family isn’t buying so basically I’ve finished my shopping before it began. We’ll probably just get together and have a meal and call it good.
I don’t get the spectacle. I’d never participate. I’m too busy visiting with family Thanksgiving weekend anyway.
I’ve never shopped on Black Friday. Of course for the last ten years I worked in retail so I ALWAYS had to WORK Black Friday (and I admit, it was never crazy at the bookstore, just busy). I never got off because my co-worker always had to go to the King of Prussia Mall for 9 hours. But I never understood why anyone would want to do that! I hate shopping. I couldn’t shop for that long or fight those crowds. That’s insane.
I worked in retail for many years, and actually enjoyed the insanity of Black Friday–but hated the scammers and theives–obviously. I wish the criminal types would have limited themselves to Black Friday–it’s on-going–it’s just “news” on Black Friday day, because of the crowds.
I used to do the Black Friday shopping years ago, but things were a lot nicer back then. Don’t do it anymore for so many reasons.
As for Christmas presents, I’ve been almost done for some time now. Have books for the kids and just need to pick up gift cards for the adult gift exchanges.
On Friday, I’ll do some writing and try to finish up the cleaning I want to accomplish, so we can put the Christmas tree up next week. : )
I couldn’t agree more. The last thing I want to do is begin the season of “good will” by going to battle for a bunch of stuff.