Well, another year, another round of Thanksgiving being pushed into our faces (Since apparently every english-speaking website is based in the US...) Ha, no, I kid, enjoy your holiday!
But there's something disturbing that follows: Black Friday, which I'm given to understand is essentially a massive public brawl under the guise of a shopping spree.
Every year we hear horror stories of children being trampled, the elderly being trampled, people being tazed, as well as overzealous police officers and security, and all in the name of a few dollar off a video game or television. As someone observing this from the outside in, it seems like less of a "one day sale" than a "bloody mess".
I ask you this: Should stores be banned from lowering prices/declaring such extravagant sales on Black Friday? This is not an ideal solution, and there are several other ideas that can be implemented, of course. The "Boxing Day" sales of my own country tend to have just as many bottom-dollar bargains and huge crowds as Black Friday, but Stores have long-since learned to try to control crowds, rather than let them scrum and fight for limited-stock items. As a result, we don't have story-after-story of shopping-gone-wrong horror.
Another alternative is to expand the sales period from beyond a mere day, as well as increasing stock within stores to meet demand (or at least alleviate pressure). This would give shoppers much less reason to FIGHT for items, as well as spread huge crowds out over several days, rather than all within hours. It would also most likely increase store profits, as people will be less rushed to get a few particular items, and probably end up buying more.
Anyway, those are my thoughts, yours?
But there's something disturbing that follows: Black Friday, which I'm given to understand is essentially a massive public brawl under the guise of a shopping spree.
Every year we hear horror stories of children being trampled, the elderly being trampled, people being tazed, as well as overzealous police officers and security, and all in the name of a few dollar off a video game or television. As someone observing this from the outside in, it seems like less of a "one day sale" than a "bloody mess".
I ask you this: Should stores be banned from lowering prices/declaring such extravagant sales on Black Friday? This is not an ideal solution, and there are several other ideas that can be implemented, of course. The "Boxing Day" sales of my own country tend to have just as many bottom-dollar bargains and huge crowds as Black Friday, but Stores have long-since learned to try to control crowds, rather than let them scrum and fight for limited-stock items. As a result, we don't have story-after-story of shopping-gone-wrong horror.
Another alternative is to expand the sales period from beyond a mere day, as well as increasing stock within stores to meet demand (or at least alleviate pressure). This would give shoppers much less reason to FIGHT for items, as well as spread huge crowds out over several days, rather than all within hours. It would also most likely increase store profits, as people will be less rushed to get a few particular items, and probably end up buying more.
Anyway, those are my thoughts, yours?