Who doesn't love a good sale? A trip to the mall is hard to pass up when all of your favorite stores are breaking out the good deals for the holidays, and Black Friday is no exception. Black Friday brings out the sales, bargains, and deals, but also the people who dare to venture out in the wee hours of the morning, hoping to snag some sweet merchandise. Unfortunately, not everyone is as nice as you are while trying to score that plasma TV. In my four years of Black Friday shopping, I have learned that there happen to be five types of people who go shopping on Black Friday.
The Crazy
You're the kind of person to line up way before anyone else on Thanksgiving in front of a department store or Target, just so you can claim your spot. You know said store like the back of your hand, and you may have an inside man, who may have leaked where that limited quantity item is. When everyone else starts showing up and getting in line, you do not talk to them, but rather just stare them down—this is your game face. The last 10 minutes before the doors open you are frantically checking and re-checking your watch, mentally preparing yourself for what's about to go down. Two minutes before it's showtime, you are pressed against the door, with hundreds of others behind you ready to stampede. And you're in! Run to the electronics! Show no mercy! Grab the box and head for the registers! You are a winner and you will be on the 8 o'clock news.
The Veteran
A step down from The Crazy is you. You are the kind of person who brings their whole newspaper with them to Thanksgiving lunch or dinner. Together with the other members of your family, who you go shopping with, you systematically go through all the ads and decide what stores to hit up. Late at night, you pick up your group and head over to the first store. You are not the first one in line, but that's okay, you don't need that TV, you're here for the savings. So you shop and you don't go home until everything on your list has been bought.
The Novice
You are a first-timer. You're either about to hate Black Friday or get an incredible rush of adrenaline from it. You have always seen the chaos on the news and this year you are about to experience it yourself. With a Veteran as your guide, you make a wishlist of things to buy with the correlating stores, that night you don't sleep, but sip on Starbucks to keep you awake as you wait outside a department store, Target or Walmart in a long line. As the doors open you are pushed forward and disoriented, not knowing what is going on. Unlike those around you, you aren't aggressive, but you still get your things. As The Veteran takes you back home you sit in silence, pondering whether you liked Black Friday shopping.
The Observer
You love Black Friday shopping! Sure, the deals are great, but the sheer chaos is what attracts you. Yes, it sounds creepy, but seeing others run around like caffeinated crazies makes you feel good about yourself. On Black Fridays, you find yourself gravitating towards the second floor of department stores, like Macy's, JCPenny's or Kohl's. There you look down from the balcony and watch the chaos unfold.
The Sleeper
Unlike your Black Friday counterparts, you sleep and wake up to Black Friday instead of staying up all night. Yes, you did make a list of things to get along with their corresponding stores, but it's not imperative that you get them. When you do get to the stores the doorbusters are gone and early bird specials have passed, but there are still good deals to indulge in. You shop knowing you had a great Thanksgiving spent with family, had a wonderful night's sleep, and that there are 28 more days until Christmas to shop.
