What Does The FL Think of So-called Black Friday?

[Horace Debussy Jones]

I, unfortunately, work at a retail establishment. And also, unfortunately, I am expected to be Santa or something to some of the current last minute shoppers. They try to put the burden of their Christmas joy soundly upon MY weary shoulders. I know better than to tacitly accept such a prodigious obligation, so I politely ask right away if their intended order is for a Christmas present. It simply isn't fair for them to place such a burden upon anyone else. Afterall, they had a full year to shop for those oh so important presents.
I fear i am turning into a regular Scrooge.

Urgh.

So:
1. People can't take an hour or so from their busy schedules to get their Christmas shopping done before this time period.
2. People need to shop all times of the day and night *right* up to Christmas.

 

[Zombie_61]

Because everybody knows the Magi just hit Manger Stable and Beyond at the Bethlehem Mall on the way in.

We three kings of Orient are,
We stopped at the mall to load up our car.

:eusa_doh:

 

[Edward]

Some of the US-owned chains over here had Black Friday sales, despite Thanksgiving not being marked over here (small knots of ex-pat US Citizens aside). The term seems however to be in more common usage for the last Friday night before Christmas, which has traditionally been "Office Party" night, and which typically involves an awful lot of medics and police working overtime as rather more people than usual drink themselves into a vomitous stupor.

 

[Alice Blue]

It's time for the Santaland Diaries!

I, unfortunately, work at a retail establishment. And also, unfortunately, I am expected to be Santa or something to some of the current last minute shoppers. They try to put the burden of their Christmas joy soundly upon MY weary shoulders.

 

[Tomasso]

drink themselves into a vomitous stupor.

All in all, I think that's preferable to shopping yourself into a financial stupor.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

The dirty little secret is that the "door-buster deals" that everybody fights over on Black Friday are actually derivative models of standard model TVs made from cheaper components and with fewer features than the standard model. In fact many of the derivative models are made especially for Black Friday.

 

[Tomasso]

The dirty little secret is that the "door-buster deals" that everybody fights over on Black Friday are actually derivative models of standard model TVs made from cheaper components and with fewer features than the standard model. In fact many of the derivative models are made especially for Black Friday.

Outlet malls do the same thing these days. Used to be the outlet stores were stocked with items that didn't sell at the retail stores. Now most all inventory is made specifically for the outlets and not up to the same specs as that which is sold at the retail stores. Tricky little devils.

 

[Feraud]

^ Absolutely.
The older I get the more I see most people don't care where their products come from, how they are made, or if the products are sub-standard. Most simply want the perception of a bargain and Luxury without wanting to look too close.

The designer handbag market is flooded with knock-offs and lower quality outlet oriented models but people flock to buy this stuff.

I'm content to avoid the holiday shopping madhouse.

 

[LizzieMaine]

^ Absolutely.
The older I get the more I see most people don't care where their products come from, how they are made, or if the products are sub-standard. Most simply want the perception of a bargain and Luxury without wanting to look too close.

The designer handbag market is flooded with knock-offs and lower quality outlet oriented models but people flock to buy this stuff.

I'm content to avoid the holiday shopping madhouse.

The more I look around at this kind of stuff, the more the "door buster" crowd reminds me of people who loot during riots. It's not about *what* they grab, it's the mere act of grabbing as some kind of cultural catharsis. Leave it to the Boys to find a way to exploit that.

 

[dh66]

A lot of shoppers ONLY care about the designer label on an item. They don't care about quality because in a year or two whatever it is won't be in fashion anyway. Same with electronic devices. Whatever it is, it will not be the latest and greatest in a few years, so the cheaper it can be had right now, the better.

Quality and durability do not keep the wheels of the economy turning.

Sent from my SGH-T959V using Tapatalk 2

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Hopefully the Drunk Bus won't be required following the FLounge event this evening!

Some of the US-owned chains over here had Black Friday sales, despite Thanksgiving not being marked over here (small knots of ex-pat US Citizens aside). The term seems however to be in more common usage for the last Friday night before Christmas, which has traditionally been "Office Party" night, and which typically involves an awful lot of medics and police working overtime as rather more people than usual drink themselves into a vomitous stupor.

 

[jamespowers]

Hopefully the Drunk Bus won't be required following the FLounge event this evening!

Of Course Not! :cheers1:

 

[sheeplady]

^ Absolutely.
The older I get the more I see most people don't care where their products come from, how they are made, or if the products are sub-standard. Most simply want the perception of a bargain and Luxury without wanting to look too close.

The designer handbag market is flooded with knock-offs and lower quality outlet oriented models but people flock to buy this stuff.

I'm content to avoid the holiday shopping madhouse.

There's a lot of this "re-design" going on. The same looking Milwaukee drill is not the same at Walmart, Lowes, or another establishment. The fundamental components might be the same, but they'll be a cheaper metal.

I swear that people are so sales crazy that they'll buy anything if they think it is a deal. I know that the Walmart near my parents did this when they first moved in. They would raise the price of an item for a month and then roll it back to abit more than the original price. People would clean them out of this "cheap" stuff. I am sure if Walmart does it everybody does it.

 

[LizzieMaine]

You can no longer trust familiar brand-name goods. Brands have been sold and licensed and sublicensed so many times that that "General Electric" appliance or that "RCA" TV set could be coming from anywhere, and has nothing to do with the reputation for quality that some of us still remember for those brands. This is a specific attempt by the Boys to target the older demographic, people who remember quality American-made goods, and might be lured into buying just on the basis of a familiar logo.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Sam Walton wouldn't even recognise Walmart anymore.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Sam Walton wouldn't even recognise Walmart anymore.

You have to know the real name of Walmart should now be "Chinese Flea Mart". I have had some deep and serious conversations with my Husband about how Walmarts is a large part of the political base of relations between China and the U.S. Being in business for himself, the "China" factor as a supplier surfaced more than one time. If all the goods sold in Walmart and to some of the auto and industrial faction of our economy were replaced tomorrow with any other source, China would more than not, desire a War with the U.S., and then there is the "loan" issue. We owe them for loans so deeply they almost already own the US Banks including the "Fed".

 

[LoveMyHats2]

You can no longer trust familiar brand-name goods. Brands have been sold and licensed and sublicensed so many times that that "General Electric" appliance or that "RCA" TV set could be coming from anywhere, and has nothing to do with the reputation for quality that some of us still remember for those brands. This is a specific attempt by the Boys to target the older demographic, people who remember quality American-made goods, and might be lured into buying just on the basis of a familiar logo.

That is so very true. The same "factory" in some third world country will simply sew on a label and ship it to the store warehouse distribution centers where the "buyers" look it over and place their orders.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Historically I normally wait till right after Christmas for any real deals.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Unexpected Bonus for Black Friday Shoppers at Target

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The latest scandal to hit the supermarket industry here is just this kind of practice, mostly but not limited to booze. Fortunately we in the UK have quite strong consumer protection legislation which will lead to a change in practice.

They would raise the price of an item for a month and then roll it back to abit more than the original price. People would clean them out of this "cheap" stuff. I am sure if Walmart does it everybody does it.