Ok, so maybe it’s just me here, but does anyone else find it
incredibly ridiculous that Black Friday sales are starting earlier and earlier
every year? This year has been the worst
I have seen to date.
Nearly as far back as I can remember, Black Friday has always been a part of my life. Thanksgivings were always spent the same ways. Originally it was at my paternal grandparents for lunch, and then on to my maternal grandparents for dinner. Recently, it has changed to my aunt’s (on my father’s side) house for lunch and then onto my maternal grandparents for dinner. No matter what way it started, it almost always ended the same way. After dinner, desserts and coffee were served to the family. Then the cleanup of dishes, silverware, tables, chairs and such followed suit. Then, almost instantly, within a blink of an eye, the kitchen dining table was transformed into a war room. Looking like a scene out of a World War II movie, the generals (my mother, aunt, sister and grandmother) would plan their strategic attacks. Taking into account, better deals, price matching, fatigue, long lines and capacity of buildings, they went to work, finding what they thought to be the best course of action. Now, this is the part I remember vividly, because I (yes, believe it or not) have taken part in a few of these excursions myself. The time would come, almost always 3 AM, the alarms would sound, coffee would be brewed and the attack would commence.
Nearly as far back as I can remember, Black Friday has always been a part of my life. Thanksgivings were always spent the same ways. Originally it was at my paternal grandparents for lunch, and then on to my maternal grandparents for dinner. Recently, it has changed to my aunt’s (on my father’s side) house for lunch and then onto my maternal grandparents for dinner. No matter what way it started, it almost always ended the same way. After dinner, desserts and coffee were served to the family. Then the cleanup of dishes, silverware, tables, chairs and such followed suit. Then, almost instantly, within a blink of an eye, the kitchen dining table was transformed into a war room. Looking like a scene out of a World War II movie, the generals (my mother, aunt, sister and grandmother) would plan their strategic attacks. Taking into account, better deals, price matching, fatigue, long lines and capacity of buildings, they went to work, finding what they thought to be the best course of action. Now, this is the part I remember vividly, because I (yes, believe it or not) have taken part in a few of these excursions myself. The time would come, almost always 3 AM, the alarms would sound, coffee would be brewed and the attack would commence.
November,
the third Friday of the month, 5 AM………..D-Day. More commonly known as Black Friday. They would execute their battle plans, only
stopping once during the day for lunch and then at the end of the day to go
over their spoils of war. I can remember
once specific occasion where I tagged along.
Our first stop was the destroyer of small business, Wal-Mart. Upon arrival, we found that none of the
specials would be available until exactly 5 AM.
The only part about this that was awkward was the fact that they had
almost all the specials out, just covered up with garbage bags and
plastic. People were ripping the plastic
open and taking the items ahead of time.
That’s when all hell broke loose.
Employees were telling people to stop, as more and more people cleared
out the display. My goal was to find a
specific television. I found this item
on a pallet near the tire and lube center.
When I announced “Hey here are the TVs,” I was promptly ambushed by
about 50 customers who gobbled up the merchandise. That was just the start of my day, that took
me to Target (where the police were, in order to make sure no one cut in line),
Circuit City, Best Buy, the Wyoming Valley Mall, Boscovs, K-Mart, Wal-Mart
again, Toys “R” Us and even Office Max.
When all was said and done, we had done a Tour de Wilkes-Barre, 3 times
over. After eating and stopping at a few
other places, the day ended somewhere around 4 or 5 PM. A very long day and nothing like I had ever
seen before, when it came to shopping.
Crazy
as that story and time frame seemed, it was a tradition in my family. However, it seems that over the last two
years, times for sales have been getting earlier and earlier. Last year my mother and the crew left the
house at 10 PM in order to hit places opening at midnight. I just talked to my mom on the phone and this
year, they are leaving at…………6:30 PM!!!!!!!!
WHAT? Are you sure you will be
finished with dinner at that point?
Jesus H Christ on a cracker, the first words out of my mouth was “Are
you crazy?” There is no way in my right
mind I would waste my holiday standing in line.
Thanksgiving has always been about spending time with your family, it’s
a lazy holiday. Wear jeans, watch
football, catch up and eat.
I truly
100% feel sorry for the poor souls that will be out there this evening, not the
shoppers…..the workers. As a retail
veteran I have worked in one outlet or another for over 8 years. Friends of mine have done the same, or are
still working in retail. They seem to
get less and less time to spend with their family and for what? A job that has ridiculous hours and still doesn't pay enough to make ends meet? I would
say that a good portion of retail workers are made up of college students. A friend of mine (Sterry) and I had this
conversation earlier in the week.
College kids go to school from September till December with little
breaks in between. With assignments and
working during school it leaves little free time to do anything, let alone
spend time with family and friends. Now
on one of the days that these kids get off to actually do just that, they are
being forced to go in and work on a holiday at a insane time. Let the kids have some time off. I’m sure a few of you out there are saying, “Hey,
it’s their choice to work that job.”
When really I’m not quite sure it is.
In this economy and with the way that a college students schedule can
be, how the hell are they supposed to find a different job? Especially one that can cater to their
schedule so well, I mean they are kind of forced into the industry. Mostly because service and retail are almost
the only industries left in America. This
year has truly sickened me on the experience of after Thanksgiving
shopping.
I’m not
going to say that the shoppers are horrible people, or that they are destroying
America. Most of the shoppers will also
be parts of my family and friends. All
that I ask is that the shoppers please keep one thing in mind. Please treat the stores employees with a
degree of respect and be grateful for them.
Sure, some of them are probably going to be dickheads, but wouldn't you
if you were torn away from your family to come help ring out shoppers you don’t
even know?
With that in mind, I would personally like to wish everyone out there a Happy Thanksgiving. Some people like to bash holidays saying that they are too commercialized and what not. I for one will be taking this time and spending it with my family and loved ones. Maybe we all need to take a moment today and reflect, even if you do it by yourself in your head, for all the things we are grateful for. Just take a moment. I hope everyone enjoys their holiday. No matter what it holds. Whether it be food, football, family or even………shopping.
With that in mind, I would personally like to wish everyone out there a Happy Thanksgiving. Some people like to bash holidays saying that they are too commercialized and what not. I for one will be taking this time and spending it with my family and loved ones. Maybe we all need to take a moment today and reflect, even if you do it by yourself in your head, for all the things we are grateful for. Just take a moment. I hope everyone enjoys their holiday. No matter what it holds. Whether it be food, football, family or even………shopping.
