How were the bargains?
Black Friday, the post-Thanksgiving kickoff to the holiday shopping season, was closely-watched this year. With retailers posting their weakest October numbers in nearly 40 years, consumers readied themselves to scoop up unheard of deals offered by retailers desperate to get frugal shoppers through their doors.
But, despite a healthy turnout, reactions to sales incentives were mixed.
Did you brave the crowds on Black Friday? What did you find? Did the sales live up to the hype? Or did you find yourself wanting more?
--- Samantha Maziarz Christmann
I find it amusing that journalists think that a strong holiday shopping season is going to have any effect on the collapsing economy. Excessive consumer spending and debt got us into this economic mess, it sure as heck ain't gonna get us out of it.
As for the "bargains," well, I saw very few items advertised on sale for any less than what I've been seeing all year, but I expect that when the holiday draws nearer and retailers are looking at shelves upon shelves upon shelves of unsold merchandise, they'll start cutting the prices more drastically.
When I see a 32" LCD HDTV for $300, then I'll believe that it's a season of real bargains.
Posted by: Balding Jim | November 29, 2008 at 01:27 PM
Jim, that's a good point except most journalists don't let thinking and logic interfere with their writing. It's all follow the leader. But you're correct that the bigger problem has been over borrowing and lack of savings - yet the journalists will be feeding us a steady stream of blather about consumer spending for the next month.
Posted by: Reality Check | November 29, 2008 at 10:22 PM
We are a society of gimme gimmme. Lazy slobs we be. I'm no different. I braved the crowds not because of any item or sale in particular, but because I enjoy it. Normally I don't like crowds, but on this day its different. My job in my circle of people is Line Holder. We wait until the line is about 30 mins to 1 hour deep. I get in line and everyone else finishes shopping. If I am fortunate enough to have a cart, I offer spots in the cart for those in front and in back of me who do not. No one gets mad and we all tell stories to strangers. Its that one odd time a year when everyone seems to get along, apart from the occasional psychotic mother fighting for the latest Elmo. Those incidents are few and far between, in my experience at least. Everyone for the most part was upbeat and friendly. As far as deals go, nothing stuck out. I can usually find what I want online cheaper than any brick and mortar could sell it. What I do find very humorous are these "door busters", they call them that because the item "busts" soon after buying it. Does anyone pay attention to quality anymore? The $19.99 DVD player is not a deal, its GARBAGE. Come on people. Oh well, I had fun though.
Posted by: Chad | December 01, 2008 at 09:34 AM
I think Black Friday was an unexpected success because most people did ALL or most of their shopping on that day, looking for bargains. Is anyone else seeing this as a silver lining? This recession is like a bum knee. "Oh I'd love to help you move your grand piano but I've got a bad knee." "Oh I would love to shop EVERY SINGLE DAY until Christmas, spend a fortune, and buy a lot of crapola nobody wants...but this recession!"
Posted by: Libby56 | December 02, 2008 at 06:53 AM
It amazes me that retailers know what black Friday will be like yet they still wont provide better security. WalMart lost an employee due to the company wanting to save money.For an increased visablity of security that gave the door greeter name badges that said security so it would look like they had more. they never hire more help in security at walmart for holidays. hopefully this will be a wake up call for all retailers to be better prepaired for black friday.
Posted by: Stampede on Black Friday | December 02, 2008 at 11:45 AM