< Glass Half Empty Approach: "To Do" lists | Main | What Bird Flu is Not... >
November 24, 2005
Black Friday, Black Eye...
While I do not participate in the frenzy of shopping known to our nation as Black Friday, I enjoy seeing advertisements for the "biggest shopping day of the year."
Sidenote: funny how the "biggest traveling day of the year" and the "biggest shopping day of the year" flank the day of the year when everyone is at their "biggest" from eating too much. Just a thought :-)
Anyway, I've really enjoyed watching all the holiday hub-bub arise. Not only is it humorous, it's intriguing. There are some really cool commercials out this year. I have, personally, been enjoying the musical selections included in the full audio-visual experience that is a commercial. (Given: I haven't even been home 24 hours, and I do not watch TV at school; I have minimal experience with the television aspect, but the amount of exposure I've had to these things since arriving home is nothing short of astounding.)
But watching these commercials, I've noticed something: the Kaufmann's sale doesn't start till 6am. My dad commented that they were late, that all the other sales started at 5am. I saw this in a different light: the 6am commencement of the Kaufmann's sale allows those employees to go partake of the Thanksgiving sales that do begin at 5am. Clever, eh? I thought so.
I'm looking forward to a new concept of the Black Friday festivities: internet sales. I received a few emails from Apple telling me that their online stores, as well as retail stores, would be announcing specials early on Friday morning. Awesome! I'm okay with getting up early to click around on a website for a sale. I can always go back to sleep if there's nothing I'm interested in purchasing, and I don't have to click aggressively or wear shin guards.
This is contrary to much of my shopping personality: under any other circumstances I would be willing to stand in a line or tear through numerous racks to find what I'm looking for. Not this Friday.
No, I am not willing to be pummeled by the citizens of America, materialistic and greedy, plagued by the "gimmes." I am not willing to be assimilated into the masses, clad in their sweatpants and flannel shirts, pushing, shoving, scalping, ravaging shelves and racks in a public place. It seems a tad barbaric to me...
No, I've never done it, but I don't intend to be "hard core" about it if I ever would. I'm not waiting in a line outside for an hour or more--I love the snow, but dexterity is something I'm also quite fond of. I'm not going to be the one punching people out in order to get "the last one" (a la Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Jingle All the Way"). And I don't really think that the things I'd be shopping for would require physical strain... do people get violent at Bath & Body Works??
Despite it all, those of you that are going to brave it out there tomorrow please be careful. I have a few tips from "the outsider" (i.e. me):
1) Have your coupons tucked away in a pocket that is not easily accessible. This is so that when you get knocked to the ground and trampled that you still have a chance at saving something.
2) Dress in layers. Especially if you're actually going to show up at a store before it opens for the sale. This way you can discard clothing in aisles throughout the store, tripping up your competition. This is really a good idea if it snows tomorrow, since wet clothing would make things even more slippery!
3) Bring a tall friend with you. And have him/her wear a brightly colored hat. Ordinarily in many of my "posses" that go shopping together, I'm the tallest one there, and when we're looking for something (usually the exit) I've got the mission of seeing above. Now this could be particularly helpful if you intend to ever see your friend again (or if that person is the driver for the trip)--if he/she is tall and you aren't, you'll be able to pick him/her out of the crowd and push your way through a sea of shoulders to a reunion. Try a yellow, orange, or fluorescent pink hat.
Good luck.
May the linoleum rise up to meet you.
May the crowd always be at your back.
May the flying elbows glance away from your face,
And the goods fall safely to your hands.
And until we meet again,
May capitalism hold you in the palm of its hand.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Posted by KarissaKilgore at November 24, 2005 11:25 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
Comments
Yes, I, once again, will be one of those grubby materialists scrounging for some deals tomorrow morning. Really, though, its worth going just to see the "crazies." (I must say, that things are alot calmer nowadays... not like when I first started going back in high school)
I plan to hit up Best Buy and Circuit City and be back in my bed long before anyone even notices I was gone.
Posted by: Mike Rubino at November 24, 2005 7:45 PM
hallelujah!
this just made me think of something else I'm thankful for this holiday season: not working retail!!! two years ago, I worked on black friday. holy crap is that an awful day! my friend's working this year and i tried to reassure her that it wouldn't be that bad and that time would fly... but i was just being nice! yikes!
Posted by: moira at November 25, 2005 10:23 AM