Greed is Killing "Black Friday" Golden Goose

Image from source, Huffington Post

I saw this coming, and have commented upon it before, probably in this space: Greed is killing the golden goose. "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday"--both greed created quasi-events--are becoming so diluted by greed, they will likely either have to be overhauled or transmogrified into something new.

Presently, stocks are having a bit of a sour tummy after gotten the news that Black Friday is in decline. But it's no surprise. Black Friday itself--originally a "doorbuster" event that started before dawn the day after Thanksgiving--has crept backward to the point where many businesses were open Thursday evening, and some even early Thursday morning. Beyond that, many businesses had offers all week, which renders the day-specific name rather pointless. In addition, the brand has been attached to month-long or even season-long campaigns, not to mention scads of spam emails.

The same has happened to Cyber Monday--a day-specific online sale event, originally--even worse, if that is possible. Amazon and other retail outlets push special deals all season-long, right up to moments before Christmas (and likely after). Neither day is "special" anymore. There is no reason to plan to plunk down the bulk of your shopping wad on either day, when other deals are being dangled for days and weeks. What's the point?

So, I hereby predict: there will be changes to this whole concept. We'll have a special "this is really it" new mega-deals day one year. Black Friday and Cyber Monday will still be a thing. Sort of. But there'll be something new. Or the on-going, every-day specials will have a new name. Trust me on this. But greed will wreck that too.

[Excerpt]

Black Friday Weekend Slows Down As Allure Fades
 
Black Friday fatigue is setting in. Early discounting, more online shopping and a mixed economy meant fewer people shopped over Thanksgiving weekend, the National Retail Federation said Sunday. Overall, 133.7 million people shopped in stores and online over the four-day weekend, down 5.2 percent from last year, according to a survey of 4,631 people conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics for the trade group. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

War on Thanksgiving!

Yep. Image from Think Progress

The War on Christmas is a manufactured, phony-baloney, insanely stupid non-troversy, made up by FOX "News" and perpetuated throughout Right Wing World. But you know what isn't phony? The War on Thanksgiving. Year after year, "Black Friday," the frenzy that is the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, has been creeping backward into Thursday. This year, they've avoided all the niceties of letting people at least have their dinner, and then starting the sales. No, they're having sales in the evening, some in the afternoon, some at the crack of dawn on Thursday.

This means, of course, that a whole bunch of workers have to give up their traditional Thanksgiving dinner. This has been true for many years for firemen, police, military personnel, quickie-mart operators and other, sure. But all those folks knew what they were getting into. My husband refuses on principle to participate during times when people are being made to work when they don't want to. And me, I just don't want any part of the nutzoid shopping crowd.

But I still think the corporations are shooting themselves in the foot. But moving the time further and further back, they're diluting the whole tradition, and screwing themselves.

[Excerpt]

Seven Stores That Won’t Ruin Their Workers’ Thanksgivings
 
This year, more than a dozen retailers will open their doors on Thanksgiving Day, leaving millions of workers with little choice but to forgo their holiday to jumpstart the biggest shopping weekend of the year. With profits in mind, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Kmart, Macy’s, Kohl’s, J.C. Penney, Toys R Us, and more, have announced early Thanksgiving hours. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

Black Friday Becomes. . .Gray Thursday?

Can you believe it's Walking Dead time in the stores again?
Image from source, USAToday

I did "Black Friday" only once. It was a bust for me, because the stores I happened to be interested in really weren't doing much. Lowe's and Home Depot didn't have throngs, at least not the year I tried it. I'm more apt to try Cyber Monday or other online specials. But some people have turned Black Friday into part of their holiday traditions.

In an effort to capitalize on the demand, and make up for a "shortened" shopping season (due to Thanksgiving being so late in the month this year), big stores like Walmart are jumping the gun further than ever, moving the starts of their big shopping events into dinnertime, and even all the way to dawn, Thanksgiving morning. I get the impulse, but I think they're really potentially defusing their own manufactured tradition. By spreading it out, and bleeding over an especially cherished holiday, they're going to alienate some, make family pariahs of others, and cause confusion about where to go, when. I'm sure there will be some savvy shoppers linked up with cell phones and iPads, networking with friends and family, and scheduling an all-day, all-night blitz. But no way your average shopper is going to do that.

I think they've muddied the concept, and are shooting themselves in the foot.

[Excerpt]

Walmart to launch Black Friday sales earlier

As the holiday shopping season kicks off, Walmart is the latest major retailer to announce an even earlier launch to annual Black Friday weekend sales — beginning at dinnertime Thanksgiving evening. Following a slew of similar announcements from stores including Target, Best Buy and Macy's, Walmart said today that it will hold two major sales events at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Thursday evening, two hours earlier than last year. . .

Read more at: USA Today 

Attention Black Friday (Walmart) Shoppers

stupid fucking zomonkeeeeys doo whut meeedeeya tell us... waaaalmart...s$aaaving$s...braaaiins (kidding on 'brains' thing.)

And America'$ greedy, corporate/con$umer men$trual cycle continue$...

Friday Status Update: Mormons!

One of the many homoerotic Mormon paintings (maybe that's how they hook you?) from MormonMatters.org

I'm off work on Fridays these days, due to the economy. And before you blame President Obama, note that these mandatory three-day weekends began in August 2008. This after a business downturn for at least 8 months, probably more. On the bright side--hey!--three-day weekends! Which makes Thursday my "Friday", and sometimes leads to too much revelry on Thursday night.

Such it was last evening, and so I have little to show on the blog for Friday. Here it is, a little after noon, and I'm writing my first post. In fact, I'm still in my PJs, still drinking coffee, watching The Mormons, part 3 on PBS. Well, on my DVR actually. It's very interesting stuff. I'm an avid fan of history, especially the stuff that is borderline secretive. I'm still flabbergasted that a religion that to my eyes is absolutely false and bizarre could have grown to such a massive institution. How does such a crazy story catch on?

After watching a bunch of this story, I'm still not sure I understand that. I've read a portion of the Book of Mormon, and found it not only inscrutable, but also terrible writing. And why in the world was it written in the style of the King James version of the Holy Bible? Did Joseph Smith not know that the Bible was only written in that style because of the time and place it was translated? All religions are inherently ridiculous to the uninitiated, I know. But Mormonism is probably second only to Scientology in its obvious fraudulence. Just this heathen's opinion, I suppose.

Anyway, I'm fairly certain I won't be getting much of value or interest done today. We will see. Meanwhile, have a good start to your weekend!

Black Friday: Death at Wal-Mart

Photo from source, Daily News

Black Friday has always been something of an enigma to me. I'm simply not into the Christmas spirit yet on the day after Thanksgiving. In fact, I'm dreading getting started on the Christmas shopping. But Black Friday is a religion in itself for some folks, with strategic plans on which stores to hit when.

Still, who would think that a deal on any particular thing could lead to death? I mean, what would possess a mob of people to storm the doors at Wal-Mart of all places, in the wee hours of the morning, causing mayhem and destruction, even death? But they did. Merry Christmas everybody.

[Excerpt]

Worker dies at Long Island Wal-Mart after being trampled in Black Friday stampede

Wal-Mart worker died after being trampled when hundreds of shoppers smashed through the doors of a Long Island store Friday morning, police and witnesses said. . .

Read more at: Daily News