Something has ventured across the border. I'm not certain whether it had proper documentation, but it showed up nonetheless. Today we had what I believe was our first Black Friday.
"Black Friday" is a term used for the day after the American Thanksgiving. It's traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. According to Wikipedia, its origins go back to the 70's. On this date, retailers are said to start turning a profit and be "in the black", hence the term. Some stores in the U.S. open as early as 4 a.m.
As hubby and I pored over our Black Friday flyers, we wondered what would possess someone to head out, only to save ten percent. Sure, there were offers of coupons and gift cards. Those came with fine print and were going to be useful if you made a purchase over a certain amount. Many of our stores opened at 7 a.m. On the news, there were images of a mad rush and a shopping frenzy south of the border. Then came the shots of a few people trickling into malls in Canada. Oh sure, some of the electronics stores had short lineups, but then they often have those, usually when a new model of cell phone is offered.
When interviewed about the best part of the Black Friday lineup and shopping experience, one woman said, "I made a new friend." She put her arm around the woman in line waiting behind her and they both smiled.
So while some people rush out in pursuit of a bargain, others go to participate in the experience.
Hubby and I did actually go to get one sale item this afternoon. It was something we had thought about for awhile. The price was right today. The item was available at a local store. There was no lineup and no crowd.
No comments:
Post a Comment