Black Friday is upon us. Is everyone ready?
It’s OK if you aren’t because the annual tradition is dying slowly.
It’s the industrial and military precision that makes Black Friday everything it is.
Black Friday is well named. The term seems to originate with the Philadelphia Police, who in 1966 started to dread the massive disruption in traffic that put them all on overtime the day after Thanksgiving. The massive public expense for the benefit of retailers was given the dark moniker because it was something that the city wanted to dissuade.
It’s worth noting that this was the first holiday retail season after the debut screening of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” in December 1965, which also decried how commercialism has destroyed Christmas.
Today it’s a normal feature of Thanksgiving. Newspapers, to the extent they still exist, burst with ads. Families sometimes go out and hit the stores together, which seems rather nice for those who are into it.
The look of desperation is totally unnecessary. Really.
For all the hoopla, it’s a smaller share of holiday shopping every year. Retailers are moving to more specials throughout the seasons rather than focusing on one day. It only makes sense – but it’s tricky. They still have to feed the Black Friday beast with big discounts that lure people in – even if they don’t think it’ll work.
The problem remains that headlines will tell how Black Friday sales came in. A bad day will turn into reports of doom for the whole season.
Just ignore them and carry on. We won’t know what’s happening until into December.
Barataria - The work of Erik Hare 
This Friday is Buy Nothing Day.
A good day to do just that! I will buy something, however – a tree from a small farm.
They seem to be trying to reve us up in Canada for Black Friday. I doubt it willl work.
Leslie
I hope not. I have faith in you!
No it didn’t work. I’ve spent some of the day tuning the piano. Much more productive.
Leslie
I need to do that, too. 🙂 My 1932 Kimball baby grand sounds great when it’s in tune, but it’s been a few years.
Had ours tuned early this year but for some reason the lower A flat and B are out by a half tone and it really bugs me. So we tried to turn those pins just little bit. No luck. Half to get our tuner in next spring.
Leslie
Mine has problems with the Fs and F#s all the way up for some weird reason. They’re all strung a bit differently!
Good luck with that one.
Leslie
Reblogged this on PenneyVanderbilt.
It’s an ugly day. Stay home and buy nothing.
Another vote for buy nothing day! It’s a good idea all around.
cheap stuff made in China isn’t worth your life.
No, it is not!
I am also staying home and just relaxing. Everyone should do that as winter comes in.
A good plan!
I’m doing some quick study on supply chain management in anticipation with my date with Emma Watson next Friday. Also can someone send me a memo on the trends in anchovy harvest. She wants me to “stress test” her idea of buying an anchovy processing company.
We will be at W. A. Frost’s. No selfies, Erik– I know you like Emma! ; )
Oh, yeah. But let’s not get her into pressed anchovies – they don’t do well when pressed. They prefer a relaxed, creative environment.
Yes i agree with you
Thanks!