MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Enough of this "Black Friday" rubbish!

Enough of this "Black Friday" rubbish!

posted 5 years ago by SaveTheSeason (388)
58 replies | jump to latest

It's called the DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING. There is no such day as "Black Friday." This is nothing but industry jargon that originated with the department stores, from the accounting phrase "in the black," or turning a profit. So it basically means "Profit Friday" or "Money Friday," which is not why we have holidays. The holiday season is a time to take a break from the daily grind and enjoy some much-needed time off. It's not a time to shove and trample one another over some shoddy imported junk merchandise.

We've been bombarded with this nonsense ever since the minute Halloween ended. It's everywhere: on TV, the radio, in the print media, and on the Internet. You can't even watch a hockey game without hearing about this garbage.

We need to take back the holiday season. There are so few holidays left. Remember when New Year's Day, Easter and July 4th were actual holidays? One by one they have become ordinary weekdays with business as usual. Thanksgiving Day is becoming the latest casualty. Soon it will be nothing more than a fancy marking on the calendar.

The term "Black Friday" needs to be removed from the lexicon. A good start is to refer to the day following Thanksgiving as simply the DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING, as was always done in the past. A store is simply conducting an AFTER THANKSGIVING SALE, and it's not some earth-shaking event. It's just another sale, and not a very good one either. There are many sales being held throughout the year that offer much better savings than this one. So why destroy the Thanksgiving weekend?

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

I used to work in retail, and I'm so angry over what's happened with this Black Friday crap.

You're right. The term, "Black Friday," was an insider term from the retail industry. It was not a publicly known term. It was created exactly for the reason you said-- the day after Thanksgiving would be the day everyone would start their Christmas shopping, leading it to being the busiest shopping day of the year. This day would be so busy that it would put the store "in the black," hence the term, Black Friday. For people working the floors and the stock rooms, Black Friday brought dread, because it would be pure mayhem, just 5-6X more shoppers than usual.

The term, "Black Friday," went public when these asshole media outlets started blaring about "door busters" in the 1990s. The door buster was created when retail realized that there were these small percentage of hardcore shoppers who were crazy enough to start their Christmas shopping on Black Friday in the dead of morning. So the stores started offering these insane "door buster" sales that you could only get between, say, 6-8AM in the morning and only came in limited supply (for example, 50% off jewelry, 70% off electronics, etc.). Back in the day, nobody except the super hardcore bargain hunters who combed the circulars and local newspapers knew about these door busters. But then all of a sudden, the media started blaring news about these deals, as in, "OMG, did you know that every Friday after Thanksgiving, you can get an XBox for $40 and an iPad for $100?!?"

That is when Black Friday became a public thing and turned into a gigantic fiasco. What's ironic about it all is that these door buster deals were there to make it easier for people to do their Christmas shopping, since shopping can run in the hundreds if not thousands of dollars. In other words, the whole point of getting a super cheap TV set, XBox, etc. was to get it for your kid or spouse or whatever. Now no one does Black Friday to do Christmas shopping anymore. It's all about getting an XBox or TV for themselves.

[–] SaveTheSeason (388) 5 years ago

You're right about it being sometime in the 1990s when the media latched onto the term and it spread to public usage. Previously the stores merely conducted AFTER THANKSGIVING SALES (just like a Memorial Day Sale or a Labor Day Sale) and didn't beat everybody over the head with the constant barrage of advertising. It was considered a big sale but not some earth-shaking must-attend event. I seem to recall it being circa 1995 when we started seeing these changes.

This garbage needs to be stopped. A good start is to remove the term "Black Friday" from the lexicon. Call the day by its proper designation, which is the DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING.

And do not shop on Thanksgiving Day; it's a holiday! There are plenty of sales being conducted throughout the entire year that offer much better savings than this one. If gift-giving is so important, why not keep an eye open year-long? If you see an item you know someone would like as a gift, and it's on sale during President's Day, why not purchase it then and stash it away for December? You could have 90% of your holiday shopping done before Halloween, and have saved a lot more money in the process. Plus, wouldn't it be better for the economy if purchases were spread out more evenly during the year?

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Unfortunately, I think that if we removed "Black Friday", then Thanksgiving would be the replacement. It's already begun happening, what with so many retailers moving Black Friday to Thanksgiving evenings now.

If gift-giving is so important, why not keep an eye open year-long?

You're right in theory, but the problem is that in practice, Black Friday is not about gift giving anymore. It's about snagging deals for yourself. That's the worst part about this whole mess. Black Friday mayhem would be somewhat forgivable if it was about people getting the jump on their Christmas shopping. But it's all about Numero Uno now.

[–] SaveTheSeason (388) 5 years ago

What needs to be done is preserve Thanksgiving Day as a holiday, even if it means enacting a new law. Retailers should be required to close by 10:00 pm on Wednesday night and not reopen before 6:00 am on Friday morning when they conduct their AFTER THANKSGIVING sales. This is how it was always done in the past, and incredibly everyone survived.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

We need to take back the holiday season. There are so few holidays left. Remember when New Year's Day, Easter and July 4th were actual holidays? One by one they have become ordinary weekdays with business as usual. Thanksgiving Day is becoming the latest casualty. Soon it will be nothing more than a fancy marking on the calendar.

I think New Year's is still pretty much a holiday. But you're right. It's sickening how few real holidays we have now. It's a reflection of how nihilistic and antisocial America is becoming as a society. The reason why societies have holidays is to have a means for people to socialize, unite everyone culturally and reaffirm positive values (hope, peace, love, brotherhood of man, etc.). In a society that is all about division and sneering at tradition and positive values, holidays are all but meaningless.

[–] SaveTheSeason (388) 5 years ago

It's unhealthy to run in high gear 24/7/365. There needs to be a holiday season, a special time of year to look forward to. There is a time for working, commuting, shopping and the rest of the rat-race; then there is a time for an occasional break from this daily grind. No breaks leads to burn-out.

No wonder the mood in this country is so foul today.

[–] Stratego (31075) 5 years ago

The Black Friday mania has even spread over here to Europe and we don't even have Thanksgiving!

[–] SaveTheSeason (388) 5 years ago

The people of Europe need to put a stop to this rubbish before it gets out of control. It's a cancer that needs to be removed.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Really disgusting how Black Friday has taken over Thanksgiving day itself. It's become Black Thursday.

[–] db20db (17741) 5 years ago

I hate the Christmas in July concept as well. Last summer, The Hallmark Channel had Christmas movies running for 24hrs almost daily and actually boasted about it.

[–] GlenEllyn (21659) 5 years ago

Seriously? Christmas movies in July? 🙄

I was going to say that Black Friday deals will be available in July before we know it. 🙄 Sheesh!

[–] db20db (17741) 5 years ago

It's known as "holiday creep", when the advertising gets backed up more every year. If you're unaware of it, that suggests you're not being exposed to it where you are, so consider yourself lucky, GE. I was receiving Black Friday deals in my inbox as early as last month, before Halloween.

[–] GlenEllyn (21659) 5 years ago

Yes, I've heard the expression "holiday creep." I spent almost my entire career in retail, some on the front lines in the store, some behind the scenes in HQ positions in clerical, HR, and finance. My in-store experience with Black Friday was back when the stores opened at an early, but still reasonable hour of 7 am. This idea of opening on Thanksgiving night or midnight Friday morning is crazy. Thanksgiving Day sales are just poaching from Black Friday sales, in my opinion. When I worked the opening shift on Black Friday, it was insanely busy until early afternoon. The rest of the day was pretty quiet. Needless to say, I have never shopped on Black Friday.

[–] db20db (17741) 5 years ago

I worked as the maintenance man for a retail store once and participated in one Black Friday event. I lugged out furniture, tvs and other big ticket items quite a bit that day. It wasn't as maniacal as some of the loony behavior I've seen in the media but nevertheless a somewhat taxing experience.

[–] SaveTheSeason (388) 5 years ago

Thanksgiving Day is a holiday, not a day to conduct a sale.

[–] GlenEllyn (21659) 5 years ago

Yes! 👍👍👍

[–] kspkap (13626) 5 years ago

Christmas decorations go up as the halloween decorations come down. By the time Christmas arrives you’re sick of the decorations and the music. You want it over with. No wonder people are grumpy. Christmas decorations should NOT go up until after Thanksgiving. Retailers have got to the point of one holiday morphing into the next one. No break, no down time. I hate it!

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Amen. They started selling Christmas stuff at my local dollar store as soon as the Halloween stuff got put away, and I was like, "WTF! What happened to Thanksgiving?!" I bought a ton of stuff but I refuse to put any Christmas decor up until next week. It's like they're trying to brainwash everyone into forgetting Thanksgiving. I won't. I refuse!

[–] SaveTheSeason (388) 5 years ago

The Halloween candy displays now go up in August. Halloween is another holiday that has been destroyed, thanks to Congress moving that senseless Daylight Savings Time into November. There are rumors that the candy manufacturers were pushing for this, thinking it would somehow increase sales. They didn't seem to realize that when the clocks are set wrong, the kids lose an hour of trick-or-treating time, especially when Halloween occurs on a school night.

I wonder if this is why they now put up these displays in the middle of summer. Are they trying to gain back what they lost when trick-or-treating was curtailed?

I agree with your approach to decorating. I follow these guidelines during the holiday season:
1. Thanksgiving Day is a HOLIDAY.
2. The following day is called the DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING.
3. There are no Christmas decorations, music, or watching movies and specials before December 1st.

[–] SaveTheSeason (388) 5 years ago

When Hallmark shows Christmas movies in July, it cheapens and trivializes what should be a special time of year. The middle of summer with its miserable hot weather is not a time to be watching this stuff.

[–] db20db (17741) 5 years ago

Hallmark obviously has a vested interest in the holidays but that doesn't lessen how sickening their saturation campaign is.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

We have this in Canada and our Thanksgiving is in October.

[–] GlenEllyn (21659) 5 years ago

So your Black Friday is in October??

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

No, next Friday.

[–] GlenEllyn (21659) 5 years ago

Oh, okay. Whew!

[–] SaveTheSeason (388) 5 years ago

I've heard that this nonsense has now crossed the border into Canada. You people in Canada need to put a stop to it before it gets worse. It's like a spreading cancer that needs to be removed.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

too late i think

[–] SaveTheSeason (388) 5 years ago

It's never too late.

[–] sslssg (35178) 5 years ago

I heard on the radio this evening that a ford dealership is having a black friday sale now and it's ending on Wednesday. Maybe they are confusing this for boxing week sales??? Which used to be boxing Day sales. They aren't even that good.

[–] samoanjoes (58580) 5 years ago

I'm Canadian and we have our Thanksgiving last month, but we still get Black Friday.

[–] BillHicksFan (10712) 5 years ago

(1)

[–] R_Kane (15828) 5 years ago

It’s no longer really Black Friday. It’s been Black November for several years now, with major chains—including automobile manufacturers—trying to spread the demand over a longer time frame and snag more buyers. In many states, chains open ON THANKSGIVING! A few years ago some bozo did a survey of consumers on Thanksgiving Day, and asked “Would you shop on Thanksgiving if the stores were open?” The majority, who had probably been drinking steadily through the day, said that was a GREAT idea!

It’s pretty much the dregs of humanity who shop on Black Friday. It is a MISERABLE experience. Smart people, affluent people, almost never subject themselves to it. They shop online, which is why the Monday after Thanksgiving is now dubbed Cyber Monday.

I left retail almost exactly 3 years ago. I stood on the sales floor, contemplating my 15th Black Friday, and I resigned. I went into real estate, which has no Black Friday, and I’m happier in every way.

I agree with the OP that commercial interests and the erosion of social traditions have bastardized too many of our holidays. How sad is it that the frigging Super Bowl, complete with BREATHLESS ANTICIPATION of its halftime show debacle and ALL THE NEW COMMERCIALS has become more important than the 4th of July or Veterans’ day? That’s a rhetorical question.

[–] SaveTheSeason (388) 5 years ago

The only places that should be open are essential services such as the police and fire departments, or hospitals. There is no reason for a store to be open on Thanksgiving Day. There are over 360 days remaining during the rest of the year in which to do your shopping.

And to think people watch the Super Bowl just for the idiotic commercials!

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

In many states, chains open ON THANKSGIVING!

Everything's open here in NYC on Thanksgiving now, including dollar stores. Christmas too now.