I have worked in retail for three years now, but the holiday season never ceases to amaze me. I was at driving to work at 4:45 am this Black Friday, and although it was pitch black outside, with the amount of traffic around the mall you would have thought it was 4pm on a Saturday evening.
I work at Gap, and this Black Friday our deal was buy one get one free sweater. Pretty good deal I suppose, however... not that good to get me out of bed at 3am. There were people waiting outside our store when I got there! I will never understand.
All day there was a constant flow of people in and out of our store; some were mother daughter couples doing the bonding thing, or wives dragging there husbands from one store to the next. My favorite category however is always (as I like to call them) "the James Bonds" of Black Friday. 3am on Friday is "go time" for them; with purses strung to their backs, mocha frappuchinos and shopping lists strapped to their waists, these women are ready for mission impossible...holiday shopping on a budget.
I have to give them credit for their focus and determination. But it always freaks me out a bit when I hear those horror stories of people getting trampled at Best Buy and Walmart. However good the deals...I mean really, you would think it was Pamplona Spain and the Running of the Bulls when looking at the speed of these people.
This Black Friday, after the couple incidents that happened last year, retail stores have stepped up their game and increased their security and crowd control. Some stores like Best Buy even had practice run throughs with their employees to prepare them for the insanity which would ensue on Black Friday.
I suppose I understand the mother/daughter bonding, or the need to stay on a budget, but waking up at 3am after consuming copious amounts of turkey and potatoes? I'm not sure what kind of deal it would take to get me out of bed (except to go to work to see everyone else that found reasons).
7 comments:
I worked at American Eagle for a year, and I still remember the chaos of Black Friday. In fact, this year my roommate and her boyfriend were curious about the whole fiasco, so they went out to Best Buy to see what all the hype was about. After splitting up, my roommate's boyfriend was literally attacked by a group of women wearing reindeer antlers and black T-shirts that read "Get out of my way, it's Black Friday". INSANITY!
I completely agree with you. No BOGO sale would get me out of bed before 6AM, especially when the latest craze in cyber Monday. No physical crowds, no long lines, some equally great deals, and all in the comfort of your own home. And if all else fails, shop BEFORE Thanksgiving and use coupons or online deals. Problem solved AND you get to sleep in on your day off!:)
For Thanksgiving break I went to New York City, and I was so excited. I mean it is New York, after spending a semester in Milwaukee, New York was like the dream destination for my holidays.
I was going to have my very first Thanksgiving and got very excited about eating that delicious turkey! A month ago I heard of the Macy's Parade...and Black Friday!
In my History Class in France they taught us about Black Thursday, but never about Black Friday, so I had to discroverd it by myself...
I went late shopping that day, because I didn't quite know what to except. By 7 p.m. I stepped in Soho's Bloomingdale and headed to the shoe section. BAD IDEA! It looked nothing like a shoe section but more likely the an after war field. Shoes evrywhere except on shelves, people yelling other falling asleep on the couch... It was insane, I was horrified and I do love shopping and shoes. I just could not do it, I mean it is shoes we are talking about. They are pretty,(expensive), they sometimes hurt but they will never cheated on you!
Luckily I had a better week end and managed to buy 5 paires of shoes! Waht a relief!
We have a Best Buy near my house in Bloomington and I also live about 10 minutes away from the Mall of America. My mom used to wake up on Black Friday and do the shopping thing but in the past couple of years it has just gotten too insane. Fortunately for the economy though, the Mall of America experienced one of the biggest shopping days in several years.
I don't know whether it is because everyone is looking for a deal or that stores emphasize their deals more since they know people are looking to save money. It actually is probably a combination of both.
The only time I have worked retail during black friday was at Williams Sonoma, so I am quite certain my experience was quite different than employees at stores like Best Buy and Old Navy. I have however experienced black friday as a shopper, and let me tell you...none of the sales are worth it. I had a great time with my friends that I went with, but I found myself not buying too many items but rather getting lost in the crowds of lunatic parents trying to get Christmas presents for their kids, and wild young professionals trying to grab that 42" plasma screen TV for $200. People certainly get crazy! All the crazies and the early hour of the morning may make the day exciting, but not something I am willing to sacrifice my sleep for.
Seriously, I had never experienced the chaos that is Black Friday until this year and I am glad to report I will never again. I will not lie, I did get some pretty amazing deals on gifts for my family and friends, but nothing is worth the rude people that make this day their lives.
I lost sleep and sanity and am not about to do it again.
EW black friday is horrible! I used to go all the time in high school and get all of my Christmas shopping done. This year, I made the mistake of going to an outlet mall. OOPS. One hour wait from one exit to the other at midnight was not fun. Then lines and security guards and people pushing each other. I will not do that again, that is for sure!
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