Black Friday: the infamous day after Thanksgiving holiday; a day that appeals to many Americans yet raises feelings of intimidation and frustration.
It marks the start of the holiday shopping season, businesses open shop early, close later and offer promotions. It has been recorded as the busiest shopping day of the year since 2005.
The appellation is quite ironic: cold weather lines, no guarantees, sleep deprivation, etc. So when factoring in your sanity, time, uncertainty and the price of your purchases, does it all add up to be worth the troubles?
Some would say that highly items are not worth freezing their toes off, but Senior, Greg Sentara disagrees. He spent his outside of a local Target to take home a 32-inch Apex LCD TV for only $147. “It was way worth desperately needed a TV. Now I’ve got a nice one that’ll last me years,” said Sentara. For him the reward was well worth the wait.
Unfortunately for sophomore, Benjamin Rickks, his Black Friday experience does not share a happy ending. “I bought some TV on impulse at Walmart. I mean it was only $78 and looked so nice. I’ve had nothing but problems after one month.”
Ben fell victim to the common one-off model strategy. Basically, distributors will strip down a well-known model and sell the partially gutted product for far less money. Commonly used by retailers, the one-off model poses as a real bargain, but more often times than not.
The biggest perk to shopping on Black Friday is of course the countless deals, especially when it comes to electronic gadgets. From Smartphones to refrigerators, you can find deals almost anywhere for this product, but that still doesn’t mean you’ll find discounts on everything you’re looking for. Yet if you’re searching for electronics, Black Friday is a smart move for you.
In terms of other desirable merchandise: clothes, shoes, perfume, sports gear, etc., venturing into the Black Friday gauntlet may not be the wisest move. The swarms of people are easy to get lost in, “Even though I’m only there for one thing, I just can’t wait to get out,” said Pat Nardella. The thought of getting close to complete strangers can make some people cringe.
So, when the holiday comes around next November, remember to do your homework and to do it well. Also, keep these Black Friday guidelines in mind:
First off, junk is junk, even if it’s cheap. If you don’t need it, don’t buy it!
Second, time is money. So make sure it’s worth it before investing your hard earned money or sleeping hours.
Last but not least, don’t rush your pumpkin pie! Family and friends come first, cutting your pie time in half to race to the stores should be considered a big no-no: enjoy your turkey day before giving it up in favor of spending your money.
Perhaps retail enthusiasts should consider trying the World Wide Web to satisfy their shopping needs next holiday season. “Cyber Monday is way better, you don’t even understand,” exclaimed Nardella.
The fad of convenient online shopping is catching on rather quickly. The possibility of a new holiday is upon us. Online retailers and websites have created their own ‘Black Friday’ on the following Monday. Retailers offer extreme sales on limited items all day and sometimes all week.
‘Cyber Monday’ can very well be the next new thing. Like Sentara said, “If you shop smart, you save smart.”
IMAGE TAKEN from businessinsider.com
