Black Friday
For some, it is their worst nightmare. But for many, Black Friday is the highlight of the holiday season.
For many shoppers, Black Friday is all about their own personal perspective. Many individuals look at the day after Thanksgiving as a horror story of fighting, biting and dog piling to be the first to reach a mountain of merchandise. For others, it is a day of excitement as they roll out of bed and head for the store to hunt down the best deal of the season.
Black Friday originated many years ago at a time when success and loss were indicated by colored marks. According to the Web site retailindustry.com, Black Friday was when retailers went from being unprofitable, or “in the red,” to being profitable, or “in the black.” This was during a time when accounting records were kept by hand and red ink indicated loss while black ink illustrated profit.
Jeff Merrell, an employee at Staples in his first year as an employee during the Black Friday rush, said he is anticipating chaos and disorder during the Black Friday excitement.
“I picture complete chaos with hundreds of people lined up at the door at unthinkable hours in the morning,” he said. “I do not picture people necessarily fighting and beating each other up, just more competitiveness and greed.”
Competition is a common characteristic shown by many on Black Friday. Stories of individuals fighting and pushing to take a hold of a desired gift are frequently heard. Many people believe strategy is the key to mastering Black Friday. Numerous stories can be found of anonymous individuals entering stores early, grabbing the most sought-after gifts, and scheming on those who were unable to grab that specific item themselves.
A manager in Logan who asked not to be identified said some people enter stores days in advance and hide items they feel will be cheaper on Black Friday. Others place items prior to Black Friday on layaway, only to retrieve them when they can get the Black Friday price
Despite such a negative reputation, many individuals who have experienced Black Friday say it is not as bad as people seem to make it. Shane Haslam, store manager at Kmart, said Black Friday is bound to have its negative consequences but overall is a great holiday tradition.
“Black Friday will, of course, have its fighting,” Haslam said. “However, it’s not as bad as people make it out to be. There will always be push and shove to get in the door, and there will always be the same items that people do fight over, but you have to expect that with so many people in a store at once.”
Jason Rees, store manager for Kohl’s, agreed.
“You just have to plan on it being crazy,” Rees said. “There will be wall-to-wall customers, but it will be a lot of fun with a lot of great deals. There is not as much fighting as you think. Black Friday is a just a fun, holiday atmosphere.”
Black Friday starts early in the morning, a time that many feel to be unreasonable. Ashlee Norman, employee at Wal-Mart, said her shift on Black Friday starts earlier than usual.
“I have to be there at 4 in the morning,” she said. “I am given an eight-hour shift, so it will be a long day of sales.”
Merrell said he also has to get up hours before his normal work day begins.
“My shift starts at 5 that morning, and I am there till 2 that afternoon,” he said. “It is definitely a lot longer shift than my usual.”
Rees said the best way to manage a crowd is proper employee staffing.
“We plan for this day months and months in advance,” Rees said. “We start talking about the holidays at the end of the summer.”
Many Web sites, such as theblackfriday.com, blackfriday.info and bfads.com, give consumers an idea of what to expect will be on sale at different stores.
Haslam said this year he expects the Black Friday ads will be geared toward electronics and other technology.
“But either way,” he said, “you can guarantee that this year’s Black Friday is going to be crazier than ever.”