By John Vibes
For years, Black Friday brawls and rampant materialism on the day after Thanksgiving have become a sort of twisted American celebration. However, each year the excitement continues to die down as people reject the Black Friday antics and instead do their shopping online or on other days. According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, Black Friday attendance was down over 3%, from 58.7% last year to 55.1% this year.
The survey noted that the average shopper was expected to spend $380.95, which was down from $407.02 the previous year. According to the group’s estimates, sales slipped from $57.4 billion to $50.9 billion.
“A strengthening economy that changes consumers’ reliance on deep discounts, a highly competitive environment, early promotions, and the ability to shop 24/7 online all contributed to the shift witnessed this weekend,” NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement.
People have begun to change how they feel about Black Friday, with some deciding to support local businesses instead of large corporations, and others deciding to take the day off. As we reported earlier this month, outdoor and sporting goods store REI gave their employees a paid day off on Black Friday, urging them to spend a day out in nature.
“Fewer visits on both days reinforce the trend we’ve seen throughout the year, in which shoppers are researching products ahead of time, targeting their store visits, and arriving in-store with the intention of making a purchase. The decrease in shopper visits on Thanksgiving Day also lends itself to the social backlash against store openings on the holiday,” Kevin Kearns, ShopperTrak chief revenue officer said.
While the culture is changing and things are headed in the right direction, there are sadly still enough people out there who are willing to get into fights with their neighbors over electronic products that they don’t need.
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John Vibes is an author and researcher who organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference. He also has a publishing company where he offers a censorship free platform for both fiction and non-fiction writers. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. You can purchase his books, or get your own book published at his website www.JohnVibes.com.
Business caused this. In my area the decorations went up in stores before Thanksgiving. It’s made us all immune to them. CEOs of department stores need to visit their stores more often. A couple weeks prior to Black Friday several major Department stores issued great coupons. Then they didn’t staff appropriately for it. What do they think customers standing in long, long lines are talking about with each other? “I’m not doing this for Christmas shopping!!! I haven’t been in this store for awhile, and I’m not coming back!” Banks rolled out the new chipped charge cards, but the machines are difficult to use, and retail clerks are brusque and unfriendly to shoppers attempting to use them. I think many of us liked credit cards because they were easy and simple to use. Give me time and reason to think about using them, and I won’t. Even with the new machines, two of my family members discovered fraudulent credit card activity on their accounts on Thanksgiving day. Fraud is a bigger problem now then before. I responded to a Visa checkout coupon offer a couple weeks ago, and used it to purchase a gift from an online retailer. After completing checkout, and receiving a shipping date, I settled in to wait for it to arrive. When the shipping date came and went, I checked online to discover my coupon had been rescinded, my order cancelled, and no one notified me! Then my bank offered a statement credit if I’d use Visa checkout, causing me to question if it had any idea of what customers need. If online shopping isn’t reliable, easy, and safe, I won’t do it. If Visa checkout is the future, then cancel my cards now! I’m not going to tell family and friends I ordered them a gift, but it didn’t arrive. When I make an online purchase, I actually need the item. In the case of gifts, it’s time sensitive. It just isn’t fun to shop any more. Everyone can use cash or gift cards. Most people I know are buying for the kids in their families, and finding other ways to celebrate with friends and adult relatives.
This article misleads by omitting context. Finance.yahoo.com explains why Black Friday sales are down:
“A big reason for the declines is increased online shopping, as Americans hunt down deals on their smartphones, tablets and computers. Another key factor: Many retailers are offering bargains long before Thanksgiving, limiting the impact of Black Friday specials.
Still, most analysts expect this year’s holiday sales to show stronger growth than last year’s. Americans are starting to see early signs of pay increases, hiring has been solid in the past year, and low gas prices are leaving more money in shoppers’ pockets.”
I did NO Black Friday buying, as I hate crowds. Instead, I stayed home and ordered a tablet and new smartphone.
Yeah, the clientele spent more time fighting than buying…
When you have a group like ** BLACK – LIES – MATTER ** pushing and shoving people around – like they did in SEATTLE and other major Cities – this is why people didn’t buy much . /////////////////////////////////
These BLACK – LIES – MATTER people don’t like to see people spend money when JOHN Q. PUBLIC CITIZEN is not putting the money into the pockets of these LOW INFORMATION CORWD PEOPLE ./
What the hell are you on about? Oh, I see; Just being your racist bigoted self, eh?
I wish I could either agree or disagree with you, but I don’t know what the heck you’re trying to say.
I haven’t gone “shopping” on “Black Friday” for over 20 years, and only then at the insistence of my spouse.. It wasn’t the mayhem we see today, but it was an experience that left she and I totally exhausted.. More emotionally than physically. Afterwards our shopping was early, online, or via catalog…
I wonder how many people hit their credit limit around the crash of ’08?
I wonder how many of those people, desperate in their search for an answer, discovered frugality and anti-consumerism?
I got two tubs of cat litter!
I wonder how great those bargains will be when the economy “OFFICIALLY” tanks (it has for several months, but that’s a National Security Secret) after Xmas, the dollar collapses, and they’re out of a job? Bu they’ll have that tasty TV!!!
Seek not the kingdom of shadows,
for evil will surely appear.
For only the master of brightness
shall conquer the shadow of fear.
Know ye, O my brother,
that fear is an obstacle great.
Be master of all in the brightness,
the shadow will soon disappear.
Hear ye and heed my wisdom,
the voice of LIGHT is clear.
Seek not the valley of shadow,
and LIGHT will only appear.
“Cast away, then, Oh Pilgrim of Light, all shackles of selfishness that impede thy flight, for thou art now truly a child of God. Acknowledge no bondage but that of love, and of thine own higher and better self.”