I don't even think you can call it Black Friday anymore. Considering that most retailers are starting sales at 3pm on Thanksgiving, the name Black Friday is sort of redundant at this point. Nonetheless, I've never really got the point of Black Friday until I entered into the fashion industry and even then, the concept pissed me off even more. First and foremost, the majority of these "deals" you think you're getting on Black Friday, you could get any time of the year if you knew how to shop the right way. A lot of those products will go on sale again next month as they are the oldest models in their line, and the newest products will be introduced come next year, even as soon as January. Especially for clothes and shoes, new season means season mark downs to make room for new inventory that's coming in.
Second, out of the thousands of dollars that's made in these Black Friday sales, not even a quarter of that is seen or given back to the employees in the form of their paycheck or benefits. Time and a half and/or holiday pay does not add up or amount to the bottom line and profit that's made. That's 50% of the reason why I refuse to work retail ever again. I know the TRUE business side of the industry and I understand that the employees are ultimately getting fucked over.
Third, most importantly, and most disturbing, is that I should not have to fear for my life or pack like I'm going on a damn camping trip just to go Black Friday shopping. WHY ARE YALL FIGHTING OVER TV'S AND VEGETABLE STEAMERS? Like it really makes me look at some of yall like "these mfs must not have shit nice for them to be acting like this". I seriously considered buying a TV and quickly changed my mind. It's not worth it. As you can see in the video below, little kids aren't even safe anymore.
Moral of the story is....Black Friday is not what it used to be, and is tainting what the Thanksgiving holiday should be about, friends, family, and good food.
If you do choose to participate in Black Friday, there are a lot of retailers that have the same deals online as they do in store, and I personally suggest only buying from places you wouldn't normally shop at on everyday occasions. What I mean is, if you really like a store but you limit your spending because it's too expensive, use Black Friday as the time to stock up on goodies that will hold you over till the next big sale. I just scored a shit ton at Sephora including samples for only $25 (post coming soon).
All I'm saying is, do not let materialistic thoughts turn you into a crazy person. Whether you believe it or not, you'll live without that TV.
Thoughts?
No comments
Post a Comment