Is Black Friday more of a marketing stunt than anything?
I think it is. Retailers attract consumers by offering ambiguous products that haven’t been selling well anyway. Like for example, an ad might say “55-inch LCD TV” and the price, but it’s rare to see the actual item number for you to look up yourself and find reviews and past prices.
If you didn’t already know, black friday = friday after Thanksgiving where people get up at 3am and loose all rationality when shopping.
October 28th, 2010 at 2:55 am
People have DIED during black friday, being trampled
! It is a really cool marketing stunt but one none the less.
October 28th, 2010 at 3:29 am
Basically, yeah. Thanksgiving traditionally is the herald of the Christmas season, so the day after’s the traditional beginning of the shopping season. You get a ton of people, and give special discounts. Its a pain in the a**.
October 28th, 2010 at 3:30 am
well see, heres the thing…. black friday is when you do your christmas shopping… so none of those things are for yourself anyways 😛
October 28th, 2010 at 4:14 am
That’s what it is and that’s all it ever was! Unfortunately, it works like a charm.
October 28th, 2010 at 5:04 am
it’s not really a marketing stunt. it’s more of a big clearance. everything’s on sale because they have to get rid of it for the new things that they’re supposed to be selling for the Christmas season. after thanksgiving, it’s acceptable to be shopping for christmas. well, the store has to get rid of all that old merchandise to make room for new merchandise that has just come out specifically for the christmas season. That’s why there’s “black friday.”
October 28th, 2010 at 5:59 am
marketing stunt? If so, then all marketing is a stunt. yes the sales, the loss leaders, etc are all incentives to get the customers to their stores first. In retail, if the customer comes to your store first, you get most of that customer’s money. I question your ascertation of the no model number. In printed ads, the FTC requires a model number, or a brand name if that brand only has one model that fits the description. I do not know the rules for radio.
October 28th, 2010 at 6:53 am
As the wife of someone who has been a retail manager for many years I would say it’s an awful time when everyone of sane mind should stay home=)
I remember one friday I went to drop something off to my husband at 5:15 in the morning, the store opened at 5:30, I went to the side door and knocked and people started yelling at me to get in line and that I wasn’t being fair…they said some pretty awful things especially when the door was opened and I went in! It was CRAZY!
There are great deals to be found on BF, however, I would never go out on that day simply because saving a few $ isn’t worth fighting the crowds!
October 28th, 2010 at 7:37 am
Yes, for the most part it is. It’s their way of kicking off the seasonal holiday feeding frenzy. I do my best to stay away from anything retail on that day. I have no desire to join in the melee. I kick off the season by doing my decorating, addressing my Christmas cards, planning my purchases, and outlining my holiday baking schedule.
October 28th, 2010 at 7:56 am
I think it is a publicity stunt so they can get more money they could expect for the entire year not including Christmas.
October 28th, 2010 at 8:49 am
Oh geez.. I’m that girl who gets up at 3am and stands outside in hopes to get something cheap. But at the same time, I am contributing to the marketing stunt. You usually need vouchers to even get the big items advertised, so by the time you get in there, you’ll buy anything to justify why you woke up so early. Man, those guys are sneaky!
October 28th, 2010 at 9:34 am
You’re right ! Some merchants raise the price then offer it as a sales price, marking it down to the original price.This year might be different. The public is getting smarter and watching their pocket book more.
Merchants are nervous.
October 28th, 2010 at 10:10 am
If you are serious about your question, here’s the real answer.
“Black” Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), is the day many merchants see black ink on their ledger for the first time all year. They may run in the “red” (negative cash flow, negative balance sheet) all year up to that date.
From the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas day, many retailers will do from half to three quarters of the business they do all year.
For that reason, you can see some deeply discounted sales items in an attempt to draw shoppers into the store.
Due to the development of the internet, and in recent years the advent of the “gift certificate,” the effect of “Black Friday” is diminishing. But the general rule is the same. If the retailer doesn’t make it between Thanksgiving and Christmas, he’s out of business.
It’s not a game. It’s very serious business.