Frankly, I have grown weary of seeing the images of crazed shoppers looking to pounce on Black Friday deals and sales during a time which is supposed to be spent taking stock of the things for which we are thankful.
The day after Thanksgiving marks the decrease in stress for all the cooks in the family, but it has also become the most anticipated shopping day of the year and the unofficial start to the holiday season.
Black Friday is a day when retailers slash prices on popular items, and many Americans flock to the stores to enter the frenzy of searching for deals. However, in recent years, the day has become more popular. This year, retail giants like Macy’s and Best Buy announced they will begin offering their Black Friday deals on Thanksgiving Day. Best Buy stores will open up at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving, and Macy’s will open just two hours later, according to Inquisitr.
While these deals may be entertaining or worth discussing with friends, Black Friday says a lot about America’s obsession with material goods.
Instead of spending the day with family and friends, millions of Americans will flock to malls and department stores to undoubtedly shop. Actually, nearly 135 million people will go out to shop in some way or another on Black Friday, according to a CNN report. In 2010, which was a time when we just starting to recover from the economic crisis, 212 million shoppers spent nearly $39 billion on the day after Thanksgiving.
For many of these shoppers, Black Friday will subsequently bring them joy as they will be able to save hundreds of dollars, and, not to mention, countless businesses benefit from the surge in customers. Let’s be honest, it’s not like these giant retailers are opening their doors and rolling out good deals on products out of the goodness of their hearts. When more customers shop on Black Friday, these corporations make huge profits.
I would argue that our country probably would be better off without the Black Friday tradition. First, there have been incidents on previous Black Fridays that have led to people being injured and even killed. For instance, you may remember when a Wal-Mart worker was killed in a stampede at the store she worked at a couple years back. As the store prepared to open its doors at 5 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving in 2008, the employee was pushed to the ground and sadly trampled to death as lunatic shoppers rushed through the entrance to get to the deals.
In addition, the crowded stores and long lines generally result in shopping rage as calm people become angry and rude while they search for their special Black Friday sales.
The best deals may not even be found on Black Friday. Shoppers won’t necessarily miss out on them if they don’t visit a department store or mall as there are just as many that can be found on the web during Cyber Monday. It is a more civil way to get good priced items because there is no need to camp out in front of stores for hours, and there are none of those scary shopping mobs with people shoving each other out of the way for a new TV.
Moreover, The Wall Street Journal recently predicted that retailers will offer better bargains in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving rather than in those leading up to the Christmas holiday. People who do their shopping early can find better prices than those shoppers who wait until right after Thanksgiving Day.
As some of the Black Friday deals begin to creep into Thanksgiving day, Americans seem to be more focused on the shopping festivities than ever before. Simply put, it appears Thanksgiving is beginning to take a back seat to the shopping. If you watch television or take a look at the media coverage, you will see much of it is concerned with Black Friday, how it impacts the economy, where to find the best deals and what times the stores are opening. Sadly, not much is being said about giving thanks and enjoying time with friends and family.
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