Every year after giving thanks around the Thanksgiving dinner table, Americans run out of the comfort of their homes and into the chilling night for what is advertised to be the "best deals of the year." Luckily, Black Friday sales and stores have begun to open at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving day, essentially avoiding the lines for the 5 a.m. doorbusters. Black Friday has been viewed by Americans for decades as the time of the year to shop.
There is no doubt about it that Black Friday has great deals but is it really the only time of the year that we see these deals? Is it worth standing in line both outside the store and inside the store to get a few bucks off of a new pair of jeans? The truth of the matter is it really isn't.
Most stores who participate in America's favorite holiday usually advertise the infamous 50% off sign for the early shoppers and then knock it back down to 40% off for the afternoon shoppers. Stores like Express, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Pacsun all advertise these sales as the best for shoppers but the reality of the matter is that these stores always have these same reoccurring sales.
Personally, as someone who's lived and breathed consumerism, I have seen all of these stores have these exact sales for holidays like Columbus Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc. Yet lines and stores are filled with the November wonderland of Black Friday shoppers. The cheapest time of the year for shoppers is actually the end of each seaosn where companies and stores just want to get rid of all their Spring or Fall attire even if they have to make their prices down so much that they lose money. False advertisement has led the lazy consumer, who isn't willing to look for these sales throughout the year. Instead, they go out and stand in long lines once a year.
Macy's, a Big Box store, is a prime example of the use of consumer manipulation. Sure, Macy's will have their doorbuster sales that are advertised to be so great, but the reality is that these deals are once again just as good as the deals they have during the year, maybe even worse. Most stores like Macy's will exclude coupons from their deals during the Black Friday season, whereas during the year (even during other sale weekends), coupons are accepted and drive down prices even further down.
Some people may justify that maybe, just maybe, Black Friday may not be the best time to wait in line for clothes but for electronics, it is. Well, not really. People go out every Black Friday and fight for those cheap TVs of the year without realizing that they are overpaying. TVs all go on sale at the end of the year before the new wave of TVs hit the shelves of big consumer stores. To get rid of all the old TVs, companies like Best Buy and Target will put out their TVs for incredibly cheap, even cheaper than on Black Friday.
Although it's always good to start the Christmas shopping a bit earlier with better deals, there are alternatives to getting these deals and standing in a long, dreadful line. The days leading up to Black Friday will still have those same sales. And if they are not 50% off, they will most likely be 40% and I guarantee you that 10% won't take a hit on your bank account. And if that's not your cup of tea, Black Friday online and Cyber Monder will give you the same deals for just as cheap with free shipping.
There really is no benefit to going into a hectic mall and having to deal with lines and shoving for what everyone believes to be the best deals of the year. So before you think about leaving the comfort of your home next Thanksgiving for mediocre sales, think twice. Staying home and avoiding the madness of Black Friday made my Thanksgiving break just a little bit sweeter.
