topic Re: weak Black Friday sales in Community Chat

weak Black Friday sales

traveler — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 22:54:18 GMT

Watching the news. It was hyped as a better than last year sales so this news is surprising. Until you realize sales actually started the week before Black Friday. People are spreading out shopping.

Re: weak Black Friday sales

terrier3 — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 22:56:17 GMT

I think people are on to the fact that these Black Friday ""sales"" are more hype than anything else!

Re: weak Black Friday sales

ahoymate — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 23:04:38 GMT

QVC started in August!

Re: weak Black Friday sales

Plaid Pants — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 23:05:22 GMT

Also, don't forget, for all the bissing and moaning about stores being open on t-day, people were out shopping that day.

What I think happened was, people shopped on THURSDAY, then when "Black Friday" came, not many people were out shopping, because they had shopped the night before.

Re: weak Black Friday sales

Topaz Gem — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 23:11:21 GMT

I was hoping that Thanksgiving Day shopping would be boycotted by consumers, but apparently a deal is more attractive than spending a day with family and friends. I don't understand it, but to each his own.

Re: weak Black Friday sales

ahoymate — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 23:17:53 GMT

On 12/1/2014 Topaz Gem said:
I was hoping that Thanksgiving Day shopping would be boycotted by consumers, but apparently a deal is more attractive than spending a day with family and friends. I don't understand it, but to each his own.

As U know, not everyone has family, and some family situations are complicated. Just keeping it real!

Re: weak Black Friday sales

millieshops — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 23:30:05 GMT

No big surprise to me. And probably not to lots of the retailers. One article I read talked about plenty of the local managers being happy that the shopping is getting spread out more and more. It's safer and saner all around.

As for those stores open on Thanksgiving spoiling the holiday - I'm not impressed with those complaints. Millions of people used those hours to shop, not to eat turkey. Millions more spent millions more this year online on Thanksgiving Day. To me, that just more proof that people want to shop when they can, not when someone else thinks they should.

So far I haven't participated in the frenzy - not unless you count that I called the plumber this morning and ordered a replacement for my garbage disposal - installation tomorrow. Not how I'd love to spend those dollars!

Re: weak Black Friday sales

Puzzle Piece — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 23:37:52 GMT

If a vendor/manufacturer can get your dollar prior to 'black Friday', they will do so. Thus a small (very small) percentage less in sales as the sale probably took place before.

Re: weak Black Friday sales

Topaz Gem — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 23:42:31 GMT

On 12/1/2014 Skylands said:
On 12/1/2014 Topaz Gem said:
I was hoping that Thanksgiving Day shopping would be boycotted by consumers, but apparently a deal is more attractive than spending a day with family and friends. I don't understand it, but to each his own.

As U know, not everyone has family, and some family situations are complicated. Just keeping it real!

I do understand that, but I don't think it's only the people without families that are shopping on Thanksgiving Day. I just think that priorities have changed.

Re: weak Black Friday sales

Lipstickdiva — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 23:45:31 GMT

Many people I know do their holiday meal early in the day and have the entire rest of the afternoon and evening doing nothing so they could get out and shop if they wanted to.

Many in our family went out shopping last year around 10ish at night when our family gathering was done. This year, they all decided to pass and I personally don't know anyone who went out to shop. They all decided it wasn't worth it.

Re: weak Black Friday sales

ahoymate — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 23:46:06 GMT

On 12/1/2014 Topaz Gem said:
On 12/1/2014 Skylands said:
On 12/1/2014 Topaz Gem said:
I was hoping that Thanksgiving Day shopping would be boycotted by consumers, but apparently a deal is more attractive than spending a day with family and friends. I don't understand it, but to each his own.

As U know, not everyone has family, and some family situations are complicated. Just keeping it real!

I do understand that, but I don't think it's only the people without families that are shopping on Thanksgiving Day. I just think that priorities have changed.

I don't know. Media does play into creating the frenzy. This is 2014 almost 2015 and the family unit isn't Norman Rockwell and hasn't been for a long time.

Re: weak Black Friday sales

Plaid Pants — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 00:04:32 GMT

On 12/1/2014 Skylands said:
On 12/1/2014 Topaz Gem said:
On 12/1/2014 Skylands said:
On 12/1/2014 Topaz Gem said:
I was hoping that Thanksgiving Day shopping would be boycotted by consumers, but apparently a deal is more attractive than spending a day with family and friends. I don't understand it, but to each his own.

As U know, not everyone has family, and some family situations are complicated. Just keeping it real!

I do understand that, but I don't think it's only the people without families that are shopping on Thanksgiving Day. I just think that priorities have changed.

I don't know. Media does play into creating the frenzy. This is 2014 almost 2015 and the family unit isn't Norman Rockwell and hasn't been for a long time.

Yup, the days of a "Norman Rockwell" thanksgiving are over, and I highly doubt that they will ever come back.

This is the new normal.

Re: weak Black Friday sales

ShowMe — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 01:12:59 GMT

Yes, that is being reported...... They are saying one reason is because many of the stores had their major electronic items on sale a week or 2 before Black Friday...... It was reported that the electronics are what were sold, and that not a lot was being spent on wearing apparel.

They were hoping that because the gas prices have gone down so much that folks would spend that money in their stores.......Maybe folks are getting wise and are getting smart about how they spend their $$$$$$.......

Re: weak Black Friday sales

ROMARY — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 04:47:44 GMT

We were so inundated with an abundance of advertisements, that almost everyone around here couldn't process all of the sales, ads, etc. I sometimes think that too many ads from everywhere is counter-productive. Works in reverse, mentally blocking out any desire to go out and shop.

Re: weak Black Friday sales

bells4me — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 06:14:41 GMT

On 12/1/2014 Topaz Gem said:
I was hoping that Thanksgiving Day shopping would be boycotted by consumers, but apparently a deal is more attractive than spending a day with family and friends. I don't understand it, but to each his own.

Many people may not have family & friends to spend the day with. Ever consider that.

Re: weak Black Friday sales

ECBG — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 07:07:35 GMT

I am a retired teacher now working in retail to keep from staying home bored and I love people. I had the 12 midnight to 7:70 am shift. When I drove across the front of the mall, it looked like back to school! Not a parking place to be had! Although it did wind down, the store was never entirely empty! Because two anchor stores opened, the mall required all the venders to open or pay a $500.00 an hour fine! I'm in a major anchor.

Re: weak Black Friday sales

Lipstickdiva — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 17:33:33 GMT

I read that Black Friday is not even the best time of the year to buy electronics items. They said the week of SuperBowl offers better prices as well as in February after the consumer electronics show in Vegas. And computers are a much better deal during back to school sales.

I also heard on the radio that you have to be very careful with BF electronic purchases because many brands are doing "dumbed down" versions of items specifically for these Black Friday sales so before you purchase what you think is a good deal, you better check the specs.

Apparently Cyber Monday wasn't really high in sales either.

Re: weak Black Friday sales

lulu2 — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 17:36:46 GMT

On 12/2/2014 LipstickDiva said:
I read that Black Friday is not even the best time of the year to buy electronics items. They said the week of SuperBowl offers better prices as well as in February after the consumer electronics show in Vegas. And computers are a much better deal during back to school sales.

I also heard on the radio that you have to be very careful with BF electronic purchases because many brands are doing "dumbed down" versions of items specifically for these Black Friday sales so before you purchase what you think is a good deal, you better check the specs.

Apparently Cyber Monday wasn't really high in sales either.

Hey Diva, guess who we spoke with (briefly) Saturday? (before the debacle in CA)

Re: weak Black Friday sales

Lipstickdiva — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 17:39:11 GMT

On 12/2/2014 lulu2 said:
On 12/2/2014 LipstickDiva said:
I read that Black Friday is not even the best time of the year to buy electronics items. They said the week of SuperBowl offers better prices as well as in February after the consumer electronics show in Vegas. And computers are a much better deal during back to school sales.

I also heard on the radio that you have to be very careful with BF electronic purchases because many brands are doing "dumbed down" versions of items specifically for these Black Friday sales so before you purchase what you think is a good deal, you better check the specs.

Apparently Cyber Monday wasn't really high in sales either.

OT

Hey Diva, guess who we spoke with (briefly) Saturday? (before the debacle in CA)

Brady? Was his wife with him? I know I'm old enough to be his mother.

That was quite the debacle. I'm not sure what happened but it seems after ND lost to Florida State, the wheels came completely off the bus. Things looked so promising up until that game but they never seemed to recover.

Did you have a nice time despite the game?

Re: weak Black Friday sales

Lucky Charm — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 17:42:33 GMT

I didn't shop in any department stores on Black Friday, but I did go to the grocery store twice. I felt bad they were opened (till 6 pm), but the cashiers were all in great moods.