Black Friday

[Rageaholic]

What I don't understand is the people who have been camped out since Monday, waiting for this. Explain to me how the "deals" justify that?

Obsession and hype. There's a lot of hype surrounding Black Friday as it's considered a national holiday. Therefore people flock to the malls, mindlessly thinking that this is the thing to do and don't think to do this on any other day of November or December. I also think some people are obsessed with shopping. It's obvious just reading some of the stories on CS and hearing people assaulting others to get a deal.

Personally, I don't see the appeal. I won't purposely avoid places on Black Friday, but if I do any Christmas shopping, I will find a day that's not as nuckin futs.

[jackfaire]

care less about whats on the table as compared to who is.

My mind went to a dirty kinky place I apologize.

[LadyBarbossa]

I was actually on my way here to make a Black Friday thread. Prompted by listening to the evening news just now. A lot of employees are bitching about the insane hours they are being forced to work today, tomorrow, and probably Saturday, too. The majority of the public response?

"Well, in this economy/in these tough economic times, they should just be thankful they have a job at all! If they don't wanna work on the holidays, they can just quit and find another job, because there's always someone who can take their place."

To anyone with this mindset, I sent a hearty, FUCK YOU! People complaining does not mean they are not thankful for their jobs. The truth is, they are being shorted on THEIR OWN holiday time with their families and loved ones to work mandatory shifts at unholy hours, at no extra pay. Many, many of my friends on day shift are working overnight right now as I type this. Most of them usually work 5AM-2PM or 7AM-4PM, but today, they clocked in at 8 in the evening, probably parked across the street from the store because idiots are already camped out and getting in lines, and I'm certain a good number of them will get hit, jostled, and generally molested by total strangers out to grab some piece of crap toy or TV all in the name of getting a bargain or saving their precious stupid money. Not be upset about working their holiday, huh? Well I bet YOU'D be upset, asshole customer, if you had to work instead of being able to go out and empty your bank account into big box companies' wallets.

Personally, I don't think it's worth them 'sucking it up and being thankful' or refraining from voicing their disgust just so a bunch of people can get their fucking gifts and shit that will surely be forgotten or shoved in the closet by Valentine's day.

I am working tomorrow, and I joked around with some of my fellow Funny Pharm friends that we should call in dead. Not like we're having Black Friday deals on Vicodin or anything, I just don't want to trudge my way through all the crowds and idiocy. Technically I shouldn't go in because it's gonna push me into overtime and my boss hates that, but the other cashier was out on an emergency LOA and she won't be coming back. If I don't show up, they're screwed.

You'd think someone would have stopped and said "Wait, maybe this is getting out of hand. Maybe we should stop" when the Wal-Mart door greeter was tramped to his death several years ago. But no. Let's encourage the masses to behave like animals and then have the utter balls to scold employees for being upset about being manhandled and abused at work instead of at home relaxing with their families.

[blas87]

I don't buy anything on Black Friday except my weekly Friday fast food treat, cigs/gas if I need them (usually try to not have to be out of anything on that day, though) and I go to the gym. NO ONE is at the gym on Black Friday, which is such a blessing in itself.

[jackfaire]

Since I try to avoid the stores on Black Friday I don't know if it is the same as other sales but often I notice the week before a big sale the prices get marked up then on the day of the sale the prices are "marked down" to the prices they were two weeks earlier.

Don't know how true it is but I have heard it's because people scout sales a week ahead and so it will make those people think it's really a sale when really nothing is discounted.

[Sleepwalker]

Two deals I have seen worth going out on Black Friday- neither of them worth 'door busting' for, especially since one was an online only offer.

Other was Best Buy offering all video games for 15 dollars, including new releases.

[Gravekeeper]

Other was Best Buy offering all video games for 15 dollars, including new releases.

Steeeaaaam. Steam and their utterly disgusting sales in Nov and Dec. Don't even have to leave the house. >.>

The Canadian equivilant up here is Boxing day and it's....not really any worse than shopping on a Saturday. Busy sure, but Canadians are rather orderly and genetically compelled to stand calmly in any line we see. Last year I got off work first thing Christmas morning and wandered over to Best Buy just as the doors opened for Boxing Day. Didn't have a problem at all. No yelling, screaming or pushing. Everyone just calmly filed in and did their shopping.

The problem in the US is doorcrasher items I imagine. Things you're encouraged to kill one another over and the store only has like 10 of them. Up here, if there's some big ticket item going on that people are camping for, the store will just come outside and pass out vouchers for that item down the line till they run out. So there's no need to rush to grab it. You already got the voucher you just need to bring it to the counter and those that didn't get a voucher know they don't get the item so they don't need to climb over the broken bodies of their foes to reach the product display.

[Panacea]

Anyone hear about the woman in LA who used pepper spray as a "competitive advantage" at Wally World?

[Glados]

Yes, I read about the pepper spray. I posted on CS about this as well but this may be a better place. I think it is disgusting to encourage people to behave in these ways over a sale. The stores should, IMO, be held liable for any injuries to customers on this day.

It is getting so out of hand that my local Walmart was preparing for BF as early as Wednesday and had reserved almost the entire store for BF sales. They were open and paying employees to man registers but there were no customers actually buying anything because the aisles were blocked off with rope and do not enter signs. I tried to purchase tin foil cake pans and a rolling pin and was refused. I e-mailed Walmart about reserving such mundane items two days prior to the sale and received a reply of "sorry you didn't get what you wanted on BF but that's how it is". Since when is BF a three day event?

This walmart had the pallets for BF out this early as well and customers were opening them and hiding the items around the store so that they could retrieve them on BF when they could purchase them. The management was just ignoring this behavior, probably out of fear of the mass of customers all getting angry at once.

[Andara Bledin]

Steeeaaaam. Steam and their utterly disgusting sales in Nov and Dec. Don't even have to leave the house. >.>

This. Their sales are crazy.

Last year I picked up 73 games with a combined value of $952 that I think I paid a total of about $100 for.

And that doesn't include the ones I gave as gifts.

^-.-^

[IDrinkaRum]

I've never heard of steam (I'm way behind in websites that sell video games).

We went to a Super Target on the way home from the In-Laws' house. We got there around 10/10:30 AM. There were no crazy crowds. Nothing. And we got the GPS we were wanting. Plus, we picked up some Zoobles for daughter.

The main reason we stopped was because 1. I need to go to the bathroom and 2. we wanted Starbucks coffee. (I'm addicted to their Peppermint Mochas).

[Rageaholic]

I hope I'm not the only one who's sick of this crazy woman in those target commercials. Pretty much sums up the insanity of black friday.

[jackfaire]

She is the inheritor of this lady's crazy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebD2r-8vo8Y

[ExRetailDrone]

An old co-worker who I'm friends with on Facebook posted a status on Wednesday. She said that she had driven by a Best Buy, and there were already people camping out in tents in preparation for Black Friday. That's right, these people apparently thought that missing Thanksgiving was totally worth it for the better chance of getting some deal on some piece of shit electronic item

The problem in the US is doorcrasher items I imagine. Things you're encouraged to kill one another over and the store only has like 10 of them. Up here, if there's some big ticket item going on that people are camping for, the store will just come outside and pass out vouchers for that item down the line till they run out. So there's no need to rush to grab it. You already got the voucher you just need to bring it to the counter and those that didn't get a voucher know they don't get the item so they don't need to climb over the broken bodies of their foes to reach the product display.

Oh, I've seen the vouchers used like that for other hugely anticipated releases, such as the Wii. I was still working at the Bullseye of Doom when the Wii came out, and people camped out for that. In the morning, before the doors opened, people were given tickets related to how many Wiis we had in stock. The doors opened, the people calmly walked in and back to the electronics department, where they waited patiently in line until it was their turn to claim their prize for camping out all night. I heard nothing about anyone getting pissed if they didn't get a ticket or whatnot. Why they can't implement something like this for Black Friday, instead of turning it into the consumerist version of the running of the bulls, I cannot fathom.

[Gravekeeper]

This. Their sales are crazy.

Last year I picked up 73 games with a combined value of $952 that I think I paid a total of about $100 for.

Yar, I plundered them pretty hard last year. Buying entire company catalogs. I have no idea if LA Noire is any good, but fark it was $20 yesterday so its mine now. Deus Ex HR is $25 today. But I already have it. -.-

I've never heard of steam (I'm way behind in websites that sell video games).

Behold.