Anyone shopping on Black Friday?

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135

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  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
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    It's the one day of the year I wish Walmart had a drive through window.
  • WillLift4Tats
    WillLift4Tats Posts: 1,699 Member
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    Two words:

    hell. no.

    Mi tambien. Went a couple of years (read: FORCED) and died a little inside each time. Absolutely hate it. But I'm anti-social and loathe crowds. But, to each his own and all that.
  • ErinBeth7
    ErinBeth7 Posts: 1,625 Member
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    Shop online Black Friday sales. Or look at other stores that might have the same type of deal. A few years ago, I bought my laptop on Black Friday, but instead of trying to get in at Best Buy, I actually ended up getting it at Office Max.....for less and with better specs.


    YES! Online shopping for Black Friday is the way to go!
    Yep many stores will have it online too. I've seen lately a lot of stores will have Black Friday deals start Thanksgiving night. Might look at that too!
  • mllst18
    mllst18 Posts: 188 Member
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    My strategy is to scope out the items that I want a few days in advance. Most stores like Walmart rearrange their stores for Black Friday a few days in advance. I go a few days before and check out where the items I want will be, so that on the day of, I can grab my items quickly and get out. Works every time.
  • WillLift4Tats
    WillLift4Tats Posts: 1,699 Member
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    LOVE LOVE LOVE shopping on Black Friday even if I don't need to get anything. It is fun to people watch!! The sales actually start "Turkey "Thursday...so far the earliest I have seen is 8 PM Thanksgiving evening...Wal-Mart and Sears...I am sure there are others too I just haven't seent he ads yet. Check out BlackFriday.com

    I think at one time K-Mart always had a Thanksgiving day sale too...

    Good luck!!! Stay safe...and BE PATIENT!!!

    That's just sad though. 8 p.m. ON THANKSGIVING?? You may be shopping, but those employees are missing family time, not by choice. Just another reason not to participate.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    I have gone every Black Friday for the last 5 years.

    It's not that bad.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    nope. I work in retail and I refuse to encourage the ridiculous behavior. some stores are opening at midnight. that's great, the employees don't get to enjoy thanksgiving dinner with their families or have a glass of wine because they have to get ready for work. It's disgusting the level it's gotten to. I'm lucky I work for a retailer that doesn't believe in it but a lot of my friends will have hellish long hours that day, some of them having to report at 9pm on Thanksgiving. I'm PROUD to say I don't need or want to save a few bucks so badly......

    I agree with this.

    Black Friday isn't fair to any of the employees.

    I used to be a manager at Sbarro in the mall (who doesn't even offer the sales, just sells the food)
    We had to be open for 72 hours straight. And we extremely understaffed. We make everything fresh in the store; YES including the dough, so needless to say, Sbarro employees at our location didn't have a Thanksgiving.

    See, that's just dumb.

    I hate Black Friday, for that reason.

    Becasue people who applied for a job, knowing the hours, had to work those hours?

    Confused?

    When I was in HS I had to work every holiday but Christmas.
  • ohnoetry
    ohnoetry Posts: 129
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    Amazon! Seriously.

    I got a Kitchen Aid mixer last year for under $200 at Target. Best purchase ever. Even better? My brother went and got it for me, I just paid him back ;)

    ETA: Check out sites like Fat Wallet and Slick Deals, lots of discussions around leaked Black Friday ads so you'll have time to plan ahead on what's worth going out for if you decide to.
  • beansprouts
    beansprouts Posts: 410 Member
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    I used to be a confirmed Black Friday shopper...but nowadays I do most of my heavy bargain shopping online. A word of caution to anyone who is has never participated in that particular form of shopping mayhem called "Black Friday"...Rule 1...Don't even think about about getting mixed up in one of those "mad bargain mobs" UNLESS you are in excellent physical condition. Rule 2....It is better not to shop in a mob alone...(ie...let the fastest/strongest ones fight the crowd while the weakest one holds a place in the checkout line)...Rule 3...Map out your strategy BEFORE you go into the store. Good Luck.:noway:
  • lwagnitz
    lwagnitz Posts: 1,321 Member
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    nope. I work in retail and I refuse to encourage the ridiculous behavior. some stores are opening at midnight. that's great, the employees don't get to enjoy thanksgiving dinner with their families or have a glass of wine because they have to get ready for work. It's disgusting the level it's gotten to. I'm lucky I work for a retailer that doesn't believe in it but a lot of my friends will have hellish long hours that day, some of them having to report at 9pm on Thanksgiving. I'm PROUD to say I don't need or want to save a few bucks so badly......

    I agree with this.

    Black Friday isn't fair to any of the employees.

    I used to be a manager at Sbarro in the mall (who doesn't even offer the sales, just sells the food)
    We had to be open for 72 hours straight. And we extremely understaffed. We make everything fresh in the store; YES including the dough, so needless to say, Sbarro employees at our location didn't have a Thanksgiving.

    See, that's just dumb.

    I hate Black Friday, for that reason.

    Becasue people who applied for a job, knowing the hours, had to work those hours?

    Confused?

    When I was in HS I had to work every holiday but Christmas.

    No, actually going into the job a lot of us KNEW (including upper management) that we would have Christmas, and Thanksgiving, and certain other holidays. The mall changes their hours and they require us to open at the time THEY want, otherwise you basically lose your privileges to be there. At least that's how our mall was. Actually, before this past year, the food court was suppose to have it's normal hours (opening at 10), and then they switched it to midnight...
  • SunseekerChild
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    I do not shop black friday. But I do take advantage of Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.
  • ashleew1117
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    you could do it online, on cyber monday (:

    i'll be working, as i always am on Black Friday so i don't ever go shopping.
  • tasiamere
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    I normally shop online from the comfort of my bed at around 1am and for the most part I get the same deals as the loonies that camp outside walmart. As long as your interenet connection is strong I've never had an issue. The only way I'd head out is if I was heading to like the outlets unfortunately you can't online shop for those. Good luck
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    nope. I work in retail and I refuse to encourage the ridiculous behavior. some stores are opening at midnight. that's great, the employees don't get to enjoy thanksgiving dinner with their families or have a glass of wine because they have to get ready for work. It's disgusting the level it's gotten to. I'm lucky I work for a retailer that doesn't believe in it but a lot of my friends will have hellish long hours that day, some of them having to report at 9pm on Thanksgiving. I'm PROUD to say I don't need or want to save a few bucks so badly......

    I agree with this.

    Black Friday isn't fair to any of the employees.

    I used to be a manager at Sbarro in the mall (who doesn't even offer the sales, just sells the food)
    We had to be open for 72 hours straight. And we extremely understaffed. We make everything fresh in the store; YES including the dough, so needless to say, Sbarro employees at our location didn't have a Thanksgiving.

    See, that's just dumb.

    I hate Black Friday, for that reason.

    Becasue people who applied for a job, knowing the hours, had to work those hours?

    Confused?

    When I was in HS I had to work every holiday but Christmas.

    No, actually going into the job a lot of us KNEW (including upper management) that we would have Christmas, and Thanksgiving, and certain other holidays. The mall changes their hours and they require us to open at the time THEY want, otherwise you basically lose your privileges to be there. At least that's how our mall was. Actually, before this past year, the food court was suppose to have it's normal hours (opening at 10), and then they switched it to midnight...

    So you knew the hours were "subject to change" per the mall, that makes it different?
  • Mustangsally1000
    Mustangsally1000 Posts: 860 Member
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    Two words:

    hell. no.

    I hide on black friday.

    ^^this^^ Not EVER!!!!
  • JennyLisT
    JennyLisT Posts: 402 Member
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    I used to work at the mall on Black Friday. You could not pay me to willingly throw myself into that hoard of lunatics.
  • AmbieSweetz
    AmbieSweetz Posts: 72 Member
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    Woo hoo! Most of the Black friday ad's are aready out! I like to scope it out see if it's worth it.......... www.blackfriday.com!
  • digitalbill
    digitalbill Posts: 1,410 Member
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    I went for the first time last year.
    I went to Best Buy at about 7:00 Am on Thursday and I was number 12 in line (well, 12, 13, and 14 with the crew)
    Anyway, I counted the people in front of me and there were only six but, there were 12 chairs set up.
    Some of the people explained that folks were sleeping in cars and stuff.
    I was cool with that but, once people stated to come in and out of line and hanging out, I got an idea.
    I got a pad of paper and started handing out numbers. The people behind me liked that idea and continued on after I completed 14.
    It was cool. We played cards, people made food runs. All was good.
    At 10:00, a few Best Buy employees came out and, starting with the first person in line, started to hand out coupons for the "good" items. Things like the 24 inch flat screen for $129.00 and things like that.
    One per person and, if I remember correctly, five unique coupons total per person.
    The employees kept us in an orderly line and explained the rules. Once the doors opened up, they would let us inside in batches of 20. Once those 20 cleared the door, they would let the next batch in.
    The people with the coupons could go to the "special" desk and redeem the coupon and, using the recipt, they could pick up the goods at the automotive audio install bay.
    All in all, it really did go smooth.
  • lwagnitz
    lwagnitz Posts: 1,321 Member
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    nope. I work in retail and I refuse to encourage the ridiculous behavior. some stores are opening at midnight. that's great, the employees don't get to enjoy thanksgiving dinner with their families or have a glass of wine because they have to get ready for work. It's disgusting the level it's gotten to. I'm lucky I work for a retailer that doesn't believe in it but a lot of my friends will have hellish long hours that day, some of them having to report at 9pm on Thanksgiving. I'm PROUD to say I don't need or want to save a few bucks so badly......

    I agree with this.

    Black Friday isn't fair to any of the employees.

    I used to be a manager at Sbarro in the mall (who doesn't even offer the sales, just sells the food)
    We had to be open for 72 hours straight. And we extremely understaffed. We make everything fresh in the store; YES including the dough, so needless to say, Sbarro employees at our location didn't have a Thanksgiving.

    See, that's just dumb.

    I hate Black Friday, for that reason.

    Becasue people who applied for a job, knowing the hours, had to work those hours?

    Confused?

    When I was in HS I had to work every holiday but Christmas.

    No, actually going into the job a lot of us KNEW (including upper management) that we would have Christmas, and Thanksgiving, and certain other holidays. The mall changes their hours and they require us to open at the time THEY want, otherwise you basically lose your privileges to be there. At least that's how our mall was. Actually, before this past year, the food court was suppose to have it's normal hours (opening at 10), and then they switched it to midnight...

    So you knew the hours were "subject to change" per the mall, that makes it different?

    Yeah it does. It doesn't allow people to spend time with their family on Thanksgiving. Most retail stores need to be in an hour before opening minimum (so they are actually working ON thanksgiving) and for our store, we need to prep at least 4 hours on Thanksgiving, so that requires us to be there at 8pm, minimum, yet the mall closes at 10pm. I just don't think that's ethical.
  • Init_to_winit
    Init_to_winit Posts: 258 Member
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    There really is no way to avoid the craziness. Just make sure you have a game plan because it's easy to get overwhelmed. There will be plenty of ads for all the stores out so figure out what time which stores start their sales (recently some have started as early as 10pm on Thanksgiving night) others don't start until 4 or 6am on Friday morning.

    My experience with Wal-Mart wasn't that bad, crowded sure, but people weren't crazy. I think living in a smaller town helps.

    If crowds and long long lines are not for you, check out Cyber Monday deals. It will be the Monday after black Friday and you can get some great buys then too!