Cyber Wednesday, or is it Monday, or Black Friday?

[MichaelB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 Who is being sheared? I feel like I have the shears!

Yes indeed. Good opportunities for folks that plan their purchases and wait for the best moment to buy. In addition, most of us have a fair chunk of change invested in US equities, and we all benefit from all this buyin’ and stuff.

So, keep the stores open and spend away ...

[Vacation4us]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunningBum My son used to work in retail. He dreaded Black Friday, but it bothered him even more to have to work on Thanksgiving day. The worst was the people who came in and said they felt bad that he had to work on that day, so they decided to come in to support them, or they would thank him for coming in. He felt that if everyone would just stay away, the stores wouldn't be making money and wouldn't open on Thanksgiving.

[mod edit]

He should pick a different profession.

I have spent the last 30 years working my fare share of holidays. Hospitals don’t close and babies keep coming. Last year and this year I volunteered to work Thanksgiving,Christmas,and New Years since I can’t get time off to go home.

I have never participated in Black Friday or Cyber Monday. The crowds alone keep me away. I did do a little online shopping today at Amazon and Ulta with no great savings in my book.

Last weekend my DH and I attempted to go to the SF outlet mall but after driving around for 15 minutes and not finding parking we gave up and left. We didn’t have a plan to buy anything so it wasn’t worth the headache.

[Badger]

The whole thing is a ruse. Products are on sale throughout the year and I have yet to find any worthwhile price reduction that I couldn't find on line at another time. Many things on a Black Friday sale are often to get rid of an item that is soon to be replaced by a newer version.


What was that famous quote from PT Barnum?


Cheers!

[BigNick]

As of about three years ago, we get Black Friday in Europe now. I don't know if it's a fashion thing, or if it's just being pushed by lazy executives at US-based multinationals who like the world to look the same everywhere.

It tends to be untranslated (i.e., what's on the poster not "vendredi noir", but "Black Friday"). Almost nobody has a clue what it means because we don't have Thanksgiving and we get plenty of vacation time, so we don't need a semi-holiday to do our shopping. In fact since not many Europeans go shopping on a Friday, "Black Friday" typically extends over 4 or 7 days, and some chains call it "Black days".

[harley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Badger The whole thing is a ruse. Products are on sale throughout the year and I have yet to find any worthwhile price reduction that I couldn't find on line at another time. Many things on a Black Friday sale are often to get rid of an item that is soon to be replaced by a newer version.

I don't know about other items, but I've been looking for a highly rated all in one color wifi printer for many months. The Black Friday prices are significantly lower than anything else I've seen in the past half year. So while I don't buy stuff just because it's on sale, I can't agree with your premise. If you are looking for a particular item, Black Friday has some value. Online, of course. I'd rather pay higher prices than get out into the B&M world this weekend.

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigNick As of about three years ago, we get Black Friday in Europe now. I don't know if it's a fashion thing, or if it's just being pushed by lazy executives at US-based multinationals who like the world to look the same everywhere. It tends to be untranslated (i.e., what's on the poster not "vendredi noir", but "Black Friday"). Almost nobody has a clue what it means because we don't have Thanksgiving and we get plenty of vacation time, so we don't need a semi-holiday to do our shopping. In fact since not many Europeans go shopping on a Friday, "Black Friday" typically extends over 4 or 7 days, and some chains call it "Black days".

It has nothing to do with Thanksgiving. It's just that the time frame is close.
It really has to do when the ink turns black from red in the books of sellers. An accounting thing.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99 All who buy stuff they don't need, and th the stuff bought as gifts ending up as re-gifts or attic/basement stuffers. Can save more than 100% by not buying stuff.

The stuff we’re buying is stuff that has been on our list to buy anyway, so we are simply taking advantage of deep discounts.

I agree with Harley - we tend to find significantly deeper discounts offered Thanksgiving week + weekend through Monday,

[audreyh1]

Black Friday has invaded Europe since 2015. But not Thanksgiving, LOL!

I now get deep discount offers from overseas online language sites/courses. These seem to be offered 2 or 3 times a year, including Black Friday.

[Amethyst]

When we lived in the U.K. 15 years ago, there was always a Black Friday-like pandemonium four weeks before Christmas. Huge sales, high streets absolutely mobbed. I honestly don't remember if they called it "Black Friday," but it was the exact same idea.

[Teacher Terry]

Retail workers get straight pay with no overtime. I will not support it. There were many years that everything was closed on holidays and you planned ahead. I quit shopping Black Friday decades ago.

[Chuckanut]

I just extended a service I use that normally offers discounts in the area of 20%. I got a 40% discount thanks to Black Friday (BF).

I also replaced my aging iMac with a new 2019 model. Apple rarely discounts iMac prices, but this time they tossed in a $200 gift card. I will store the card away very safely and use when I replace my iPhone in a few years.

Other than that, BF is only an even for me in the sense that I avoid shoppoing malls on that day. My TV works fine and I don't need a bigger refrigerator so why spend the money?

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuckanut I just extended a service I use that normally offers discounts in the area of 20%. I got a 40% discount thanks to Black Friday (BF). I also replaced my aging iMac with a new 2019 model. Apple rarely discounts iMac prices, but this time they tossed in a $200 gift card. I will store the card away very safely and use when I replace my iPhone in a few years. Other than that, BF is only an even for me in the sense that I avoid shopping malls on that day. My TV works fine and I don't need a bigger refrigerator so why spend the money?

Glad you found at least a few things you wanted.

I slogged through pages and pages of BF specials on Amazon, Best Buy, and elsewhere yesterday. There wasn't one single thing offered that I want. It all looked like Landfill of the Future to me.

For those of us who don't want to travel (or to purchase vehicles to travel like RV's, boats, or planes), it's tough. In my case I am happy with the house, computer, clothes, and SUV that I already have. My TV and frig are working just fine, too.

Sometimes it is tough to Blow That Dough, even on Black Friday. (sigh) Maybe I'll find something offered that I want on Cyber Monday.

[JoeWras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amethyst Dunno about retail, but most tradespeople make double time for working holidays. My dad used to welcome the overtime. He called it Christmas money! And when I was a watch officer below GS-13 grade, I earned double pay on holidays. We just agreed to celebrate the holiday on a different day.

You and your dad's situation showed respect for the workers. My dad also worked trades and he worked many Thanksgivings because that was the only day restaurants closed. So, big plumbing jobs came on that day. Double time, baby!

Sadly, respect for employees is out the window. So unless you are union or have a "GS" grade, forget it. See quote below...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teacher Terry Retail workers get straight pay with no overtime. I will not support it. There were many years that everything was closed on holidays and you planned ahead. I quit shopping Black Friday decades ago.

[audreyh1]

We only do online shopping during this period.

Although I did drive to Mexican border yesterday to pick up something important from a drug store across the bridge. I had plenty of company crossing the border which is what I wanted.

[easysurfer]

I almost sprung for a BF sale on a micro-SD card. But figure, since I really don't need the card just now I can wait and memory prices tend to go down to dirt cheap levels in time. Even more dirt cheap than present.

[Walt34]

I've looked but haven't seen anything I need/want. I am in the market for a new Milwaukee battery-powered chain saw but since I won't be using it until next spring at the soonest there's no rush. I'm pretty sure it'll go on sale between now and then. My old Stihl that I bought ~1980 finally quit and I'm not going to bother fixing it. The simplicity, quiet, and easy maintenance of the electric has it's attractions and I'm certainly not going to spend a whole day cutting up logs so the electric will do fine for me. As one reviewer noted, what other chain saw can you use at 7:30 AM Saturday morning in suburbia and not have all the neighbors enraged at you?

Like W2R, everything I saw marked down on Amazon looked like future landfill stuff to me, so I passed.

[aja8888]

DD broke her series 3 I watch and I replaced it from the Apple store for $199 and a $25 gift card. That's one Xmas present out of the way. I didn't buy anything else on BF.

[harley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R I slogged through pages and pages of BF specials on Amazon, Best Buy, and elsewhere yesterday. There wasn't one single thing offered that I want. It all looked like Landfill of the Future to me.

That's what I didn't do. If I were to go looking like that I wouldn't find anything either. I would get overwhelmed after about two screens full.

I was specifically looking for the printer, and I did respond to an ad and got a copy of TurboTax H&B. It wasn't really on sale, but it did include a $10 Amazon gift car.

Quote:

Sometimes it is tough to Blow That Dough, even on Black Friday. (sigh) Maybe I'll find something offered that I want on Cyber Monday.

As I'm not really all that familiar with this stuff, is Cyber Monday a real thing? So is it B&M Friday, and online stores on Monday? Makes no sense, as everything is online now. I never considered waiting until Monday to look for the printer. I guess I'll take a look and see if I could have done better.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harley As I'm not really all that familiar with this stuff, is Cyber Monday a real thing? So is it B&M Friday, and online stores on Monday? Makes no sense, as everything is online now. I never considered waiting until Monday to look for the printer. I guess I'll take a look and see if I could have done better.

I don't know; guess some places have sales on both days? Maybe I should google "black friday vs cyber monday" or something.

[RobbieB]

I couldn't care less about when people shop, what they buy or how much they spend.