The crowds were just as big this year, surprising store owners everywhere. Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, and is one of the biggest shopping days of the year, marking the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.
Today’s Economy Means Smarter Shopping
With the nation’s economy suffering, most store employees and owners expected the worst for their stores. Tiffany Holyfield, an employee for Target in Winston-Salem, says, “I honestly expected a regular Friday at work.”
Stores were shocked by the turnout. Holyfield states, “I’ve never worked on Black Friday before, but I can’t imagine it could get much crazier than this.”
Shoppers still showed, but what they bought may be a surprise. Although splurges on computers, televisions, and other electronics still ranked at the top of some people’s lists, others decided to take the opportunity to stock on necessities. Some of the top things Holyfield said she saw coming through her register lane were kitchen supplies, toiletries, towels, and clothing.
Shoppers are being smarter about where their money is spent, showing some things may just be more important than holiday spending. Most Black Friday shoppers said they just had one or two things in mind to buy, rather than browsing for more deals and spending too frivolously.
Today’s Economy Means Smarter Shopping
With the nation’s economy suffering, most store employees and owners expected the worst for their stores. Tiffany Holyfield, an employee for Target in Winston-Salem, says, “I honestly expected a regular Friday at work.”
Stores were shocked by the turnout. Holyfield states, “I’ve never worked on Black Friday before, but I can’t imagine it could get much crazier than this.”
Shoppers still showed, but what they bought may be a surprise. Although splurges on computers, televisions, and other electronics still ranked at the top of some people’s lists, others decided to take the opportunity to stock on necessities. Some of the top things Holyfield said she saw coming through her register lane were kitchen supplies, toiletries, towels, and clothing.
Shoppers are being smarter about where their money is spent, showing some things may just be more important than holiday spending. Most Black Friday shoppers said they just had one or two things in mind to buy, rather than browsing for more deals and spending too frivolously.
Shopping Turned Violent
If shopping is a sport, then some people should be kicked out of the game. Some people don’t dare to face the Black Friday madness. Shopping cart brawls and wrestling in the aisles of stores are classic ways to poke fun at Black Friday, but some happen to be truer than others.
This year, a Wal-Mart employee in New York was trampled to death by a chaotic, sale-eager crowd Friday morning. The rush of shoppers also injured three others. In California, two men shot and killed each other in a crowded Toys R Us store.
Alternatives to the Crowd
If Black Friday isn’t your thing, don’t worry. Not everyone has the time, patience, or mindset to camp out in front of stores on Thanksgiving or wake up before dawn the next day. The crowds can get overwhelming and dangerous, but there are alternative ways to save.
Thomas Bridges, a student and part-time worker, still had work Friday morning, so couldn’t spend the day shopping. Still wanting deals, he decided to take advantage of online deals. “I scoped out what I wanted a few days ago, then after work, I plan on sitting down for just five minutes and getting it all done at once,” he says, “…no crazy lines, no competition for what I want, and no other distracting sales.”
Most stores have the some of the same bargains online. Another option for online shoppers is to wait for Cyber Monday, the Monday following Thanksgiving, which is the unofficial kick-off to the online Christmas shopping season.
For more information on Black Friday this year, visit:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2008/11/29/20081129biz-blackfriday1129.html
http://www.mlive.com/chronicle/news/index.ssf/2008/11/economy_brings_out_deal_seekers_on_black_friday.html
And be sure to check out the upcoming Cyber Monday deals!
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