Well you won't see that written in my obituary any time soon. Although it has been known as the biggest sale day year after year, bringing out millions of shoppers all on one day. A time where people have just filled their bellies the day before which gives them the energy and stamina to deal with long lines, pushy people, and pepper spray?! I understand the need for businesses to pull themselves out of a bad year of sales, but does it really need to be done in one to two days? Doesn't anyone know how to sell anything anymore? Who is managing these companies that are relying on Black Friday to pull them 'well' into the black?
Let me start off by explaining a little bit about the REAL history of Black Friday. In the 1950's they used the term to describe all the people that would call in sick after Thanksgiving. In the 1960's in Philadelphia, PA the Army and the Navy used to hold a football game against each other after Thanksgiving. It brought out so many fans into the city and caused so much rivalry that the police used to call it Black Friday. It wasn't until the early 1980's that store owners decided to coin the term to mean turning a profit and bringing them back into the red. Bet you didn't know that did you? It's funny how the original term Black Friday made it's way into the new store owners term. Ehhh Hemm can you say Karma?!
Let me start off by explaining a little bit about the REAL history of Black Friday. In the 1950's they used the term to describe all the people that would call in sick after Thanksgiving. In the 1960's in Philadelphia, PA the Army and the Navy used to hold a football game against each other after Thanksgiving. It brought out so many fans into the city and caused so much rivalry that the police used to call it Black Friday. It wasn't until the early 1980's that store owners decided to coin the term to mean turning a profit and bringing them back into the red. Bet you didn't know that did you? It's funny how the original term Black Friday made it's way into the new store owners term. Ehhh Hemm can you say Karma?!
It's a numbers game.
It's all a numbers game. Living in Florida and being so close to Walt Disney World, I find it hard to believe that anyone is okay with standing in a line for more than 50 minutes. Most people start the bitching process right about 30 minutes or so and then the complaints start around 60 minutes. So let's just see why people still continue to pack up their hot chocolate, put on their warm coats and grab a lawn chair to sit in a crowded line for hours for a store to open up.
Most people expect to see sales ranging from 20% off to 75% off, but keep in mind that the retailer's cost remains the same. If we take the retailer's cost of a television at $500.00 and the everyday price for a consumer at $1000.00, you can see that the retailer would make an $500.00 profit. But if you take that same television set at the same retailer's cost and mark it on Black Friday sale for $750.00 (which is a 25% savings), the retailer only makes $250.00 per unit. They would have to sell two televisions to make up the difference of selling one television on a normal day. The cost of running a store, paying employees, cost of Black Friday security and the cost of cleaning up the store later would eat this money up in a heartbeat. So why do they continue to honor this rowdy crowd tradition? Why not change the methods of your sales technique throughout the year and honor your employees and customers by wishing them well on the "Thanks"giving holiday. Can someone please teach these business owners how to manage a business?!
Most people expect to see sales ranging from 20% off to 75% off, but keep in mind that the retailer's cost remains the same. If we take the retailer's cost of a television at $500.00 and the everyday price for a consumer at $1000.00, you can see that the retailer would make an $500.00 profit. But if you take that same television set at the same retailer's cost and mark it on Black Friday sale for $750.00 (which is a 25% savings), the retailer only makes $250.00 per unit. They would have to sell two televisions to make up the difference of selling one television on a normal day. The cost of running a store, paying employees, cost of Black Friday security and the cost of cleaning up the store later would eat this money up in a heartbeat. So why do they continue to honor this rowdy crowd tradition? Why not change the methods of your sales technique throughout the year and honor your employees and customers by wishing them well on the "Thanks"giving holiday. Can someone please teach these business owners how to manage a business?!
Still thinking of going out for the sales?
Still not convinced? There is a website out there called www.blackfridaydeathcount.com that will give you a detailed description of all the deaths and injuries that took place on Black Friday over the past decade. If that isn't enough to turn you away, did you know that insurance claims for car accidents go up by 40% on Black Friday alone. Mind you, some of these claims are minor incidents that take place in a parking lot. I was recently hit in a parking lot and I got a tiny little dent in the back of my car. The insurance company reminded me that I have a $500.00 deductible, while the repairman told me that he could fix it for $520.00. If this happened on Black Friday then you could kiss any of my Black Friday savings out the door.
One more thing I'd like to stuff down the Turkey before Black Friday... It only takes place in America! So on 'Thanks'giving we sit down with family and loved ones, thank each other for coming together to share in the food and the love and rejoice about how that's all we need to be happy and 'Thankful' and just a few hours later we piled into a car and go wait in line to trample everyone else and their family for a new television. (I realize that this is exaggerated, but you get the point). It's no wonder why the Native Americans in this country are losing more and more of their land each year in America. They should have never given us corn to make peace. Instead they should have sold it to us at a lower price for a day. We seem to like that better anyway.
While I'm sure I probably pissed off most of the people that I know in writing this blog, I'd like to further point out that you will not be getting anything more then "FREE SHIPPING" from me for the holidays. I love you all and I'm thankful to have you in my life, that's why I'll be sitting on a couch rubbing my belly and eating left over Turkey on Black Friday ALL SAFE AND SOUND!
While I'm sure I probably pissed off most of the people that I know in writing this blog, I'd like to further point out that you will not be getting anything more then "FREE SHIPPING" from me for the holidays. I love you all and I'm thankful to have you in my life, that's why I'll be sitting on a couch rubbing my belly and eating left over Turkey on Black Friday ALL SAFE AND SOUND!
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