What it was
Black Friday is supposed to be a simple day of shopping, but as stores create more and more deals, paired with lack of hot ticket items, the day creates intense, violent riots that result in injury, property damage, and loss of dignity, all over some gifts shoppers want to purchase. For whatever reason, this day has changed into a rather dangerous day for holiday shoppers. But it has not always been like this. Before the 19th century, Black Friday was not an occurrence; the day after Thanksgiving was once just another random day in November. The name “Black Friday” came from the fact that when the sales, funds and other financial data was stored in ledgers, if the company made more money than it spent, the numbers would be written in black ink. And since Black Friday was always a huge financial success, the numbers would always be in black ink.
Myths and Legends
There are many myths and legends surrounding this day, for instance, Black Friday is not the biggest shopping day of the year, it actually does not even make it into the top 5. The biggest shopping day of the year is actually the Saturday before Christmas. Another fact about Black Friday is that stores stock a lot more hot ticket items than usual. In reality, retailers, may only stock a few so they may advertise having that item, effectively drawing a larger crowd in. One thing that may disappoint many Black Friday shoppers is the fact that the deals given on Black Friday are not always the best deals of the year. Most items have a certain time period when their prices (i.e. winter apparel will be cheaper in the summer).
Day of Retail
Black Friday is also a day of strategy for retailers. For instance, they advertise great deals, leak details about other deals, and make it seem like their store in specific not only have the best deal, but stock more of the hot ticket items. When in reality, online shopping browsers, like Amazon, are already on their way to making Black Friday obsolete, due to the simple fact that they have better deals than other stores, and likely have more stock than retail stores. this does not mean for you to completely abandon Black Friday entirely. there are still deals, and the amount of violence has sharply declined recently.
The Numbers
But there are still some positives to this whole situation, for one, it helps bump the economy a bit; the average shopper spending around $430. The total amount of money made by retail stores added up to around 59 billion dollars in 2012. While online shopping racked in a little more than 1 billion in sales. Another upside is, that if you do get your hands on the merchandise you were going after, you most likely got it for a better deal than usual. But sometimes, all the hard work you put in might simply be put to waste, if when you finally get inside the store, after waiting outside for hours on end, that the piece of furniture, electronic, or clothes you have been hunting, will simply disappear into someone else’s shopping cart. Buyers beware; sales might end up becoming better as the months pass. Most stores will offer better deals as the holiday season begins to roll around. However, this does not mean it is a bad idea to go out for the Black Friday sales.
The Upside.
The obvious upside to Black Friday are the deals, which are obviously widely offered. Another upside is that it is a memorable occurrence for those who participate. Plus, there is a larger chance of retail store holding more stock than the other 364 days of the year. There are premise liability laws that stores must abide by that require that the store is free from hazards that can cause harm to customers. Injuries due to poor planning by the store can be a premise liability infraction.
When comparing Black Friday to Cyber Monday, Black Friday allows the customers to physically see the item and not have to pay for shipping.
Is it worth it?
When asked if he would be shopping this Black Friday, Senior Andrew Brandy stated,” No, I don’t want to die. It is safer to shop at home and not be anywhere near a store on Black Friday.”
However, Miss Danielle Simkovich, English teacher at CHS, can’t wait to shop on November 28th. “Last year I didn’t even have anything to specifically buy and I went shopping anyway. I think it is all about the mindset. I go shopping on Black Friday knowing I will probably be hit by a cart, yelled at in English or a foreign language, I will have to wait in line, I might not get the item I came for, and someone near me will most likely have BO. It definitely helps to have a fully charged battery in your phone to pass the time or to bring someone with you.”
Whether you go out for Black Friday or not is entirely up to you, and if you would prefer to get a deals with a small risk, it would more than likely be something you should try to make it to. Some deals are better than others, but small deals are better than no deals. But if you go, you should remember to not go alone, and stay safe, try to avoid the mobs if possible. If you play it safe, Black Friday can remain a happy tradition for families and friends. Overall, Black Friday is just another day in the year that has had a rough past. Over the years Black Friday has not changed much, besides for the amount of money shoppers spend. Black Friday will most likely remain our most infamous day of shopping for some time.
