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I am inclined to avoid the stores which are opening on Thanksgiving this year. I don't do Black Friday; haven't since college when that was basically my only opportunity to do Christmas shopping. It didn't seem as bad *ahem* years ago.
If you can (and I hope to try) shop Small Business Saturday on the 26th; help out local businesses rather than big chains. There are heaps of shops in downtown Peekskill, and free parking to boot!
A radio commercial by Winn Dixie (grocery) poses that if you have fussy, demanding in-laws coming over, that you should buy your entire fool proof Thanksgiving day meal from Winn Dixie, to impress them. The best part, they say, is that you don't have to 'lift a finger'!
Isn't that what it's all about anyway? Not showing any effort for anything.
It's about standing in lines to spend money, and theoretically save a few bucks, and be the first one to have the next latest thing on the market.
Thanksgiving is officially canceled.
It will now be known as BLACK THURSDAY and it will last 2 days.
I have to work Friday morning after thanksgiving, even though my workplace is closed all day and there's no reason we couldn't come in later except majority vote of people who want to get done early. I have to strip a gym floor and wax it.
I don't do black Friday. I don't spend big money on electronics unless I research them and where to buy them so I don't get stuck with a lemon. You can find better deals when its not holiday or tax return season, when stores are more desperate to make a sale.
I haven't shopped on Black Friday in many years. I can't deal with the crowds because I have back and leg problems. I haven't shopped much at all in malls or anywhere else. I have now just stayed home and shopped with QVC or HSN, it's a lot easier and safer for me.
What a coincidence, my sister and I were just talking about those Target commercials, we can't stand her either. My sister just mutes her TV when she is on. She makes you not want to go to Target, that commercial backfires, lol.Quote:
Originally Posted by Freedom
I REFUSE TO SHOP ON BLACK FRIDAY. I don't even leave my house if I don't have to!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Karen
I don't have to work on that day, thank god for being a school teacher!!!
Tomorrow, at noon, I have an appointment in downtown Burlington, to have my hair cut. I didn't even think about Black Friday when I agreed to the appointment. I hope I can find a parking place/spot. I don't plan on shopping anywhere - just the hair cut and leave. I hope the wild shoppers are all tired out by 11:30/noon so that I can get to and from without popping a gasket!
Ugh.
I don't like all the gift giving for Christmas, anyway, and this frantic behavior from some of the shoppers just gives me more reason to feel this way. Oh well. To each his own.
:rolleyes:
I HATE Black Friday. There are good deals, but it's not worth all the danger, crazy people, and the hassle of driving in the horrendous traffic.
A lot of people don't get to enjoy their Thanksgiving now because the deals started on Thursday, and I don't think that's right at all.
There have been people camping out at the Best Buy here since TUESDAY to get some of their deals. I think they are freaking INSANE.
My cousins in America are going to the Black Friday place, as I have heard and we've told them to get some stuff for us. I think we're getting a laptop and a kindle. Not sure.
LOL :DQuote:
Originally Posted by sana
Sana - Black Friday isn't a place - it's a term given to the first "official" shopping day of the Christmas/holiday season - and is always the day after Thanksgiving - today - Friday.
The term "black" comes from the concept that the stores will operate in the "black" - meaning that they will actually make money. When they operate in the "red", that means they aren't seeing any profits and claim that they aren't making money thru out the year. So stores have super sales on everything, with the hopes that it will bring lots and lots of people to their stores, and that they will be "in the black" - making lots of money on the products that they sell.
And with these super sales, people tend to go kind of crazy and wait in lines for hours to get in the store and get all kinds of products at super low prices. It's really crazy, but if you like the mob scene and don't mind driving around forever to find a parking place for your car in the mall, then I guess it's not bad. Not my idea of fun tho. Electronics and toys are a BIG attraction that draws people out on this crazy shopping day. :p
I always thought the term black friday came from the shopping madness...I think nobody is really sure of the origin of that term.
It's actually both. It originally started out meaning the massive traffic and mobs associated with it, but then became a profit or loss issue in later years. And wouldn't you know - it all boils down to the almighty dollar. :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by caseysmom
Can you imagine children, say 100 years from now, asking about the origins of Black Friday?Quote:
Originally Posted by pomtzu
Well kids, it all started when the drive to purchase merchandise and small gadgetry peaked in the early 21st century. It's origins are from the celebrations right after the former Thanksgiving Holiday, when people thought we still don't have enough to be thankful for. Small groups of folks camped out in front of stores, to have a chance at the 'latest, greatest' products when hysteria slowly set in. Eventually the stores never closed. Thanksgiving became another work day and lost popularity. The merchandizers knew, when to hold out items and always dangled new products before the peasantry. That's how we got our Pod commercials for the Springtime promotional drive, that everyone loves so much, and how we got products like the NEW Im1PmegKind-L42-aPodversion2127G(slim).
Eventually everyone succumbed to the mind numbing lure of the Black Friday Holiday and that's how we got Tent Villages, the ALF (Anti-Looting Force) and the CRF (Civil Redirection Force for crowd control) And that's how we came to celebrate our beloved Black Friday, the second week of June.
The term "black" Friday doesn't have to do do with the crowds or the traffic. It is the beginning of the retail "Christmas" season, where stores make the most profit, so it put them "in the black" (making money) instead of "in the red" - losing money.
It is both, Karen, and originally it was in reference to the heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic on that day - the start of the holiday shopping season. It originated in Philadelphia in the 60's and spread, and eventually took on it's other meaning of the profit/loss scenario.Quote:
Originally Posted by Karen