Monday, December 1, 2008

Black Friday Boycott

I've been haunted the last few days with all of the Black Friday stories I've heard.

A Wal-mart employee being trampled to death? Shots being fired at Toys R Us? For what? So we can get good deals on gifts to give to our loved ones to celebrate the birth of Christ?

I'm not his mouth piece, but this is NOT what Jesus would do.

I have decided that I am no longer participating in the madness of Black Friday. I didn't this year and I will not in future years. I cannot and will not support stores that advertise deeply discounted savings but only carry 4 of that item, resulting in animalistic behavior from shoppers desperate to get the deal.

Wal-mart offered "door busters" and they got it--2000 people busting a door and trampling another human being for the sake of inexpensive Xboxes and Barbie Jeeps. I hope the revenue from that $388 flatscreen was worth the life of that employee.

Sure, it's never likely to happen in my city. Sure, it can be a fun Christmas tradition--but there are others. Others that aren't celebrating and encouraging materialism, greed and selfishness. If I'm broke and can't afford as much stuff without great deals, then I have two options: 1. Less stuff 2. Smarter shopping.

Sure, it's likely to be as successful as my boycott of the library, but it's what I can do. Maybe if other people hold the same opinion, these stores will find a way to boost sales without risking the lives of consumers for cheap, made in China crap. They could stagger sales days, stock a reasonable amount of crap at a discount, concentrate on online sales...the list goes on and on. They can find a way that doesn't encourage standing in the cold in the middle of the night and maiming your fellow citizens for a $29 VCR.

Because I'm not doing it any longer. Even if it ends up costing me more.

32 comments:

Stephanie said...

I agree. We were on St.Simons Island where there are no big chain stores. Thankfully. My one stop was at Cloister Collection at 10:00 AM...where I can guarantee you the three of us in the store were quite civil.

I hate Black Friday. I think it stands for all of the wrong things.

Unknown said...

So right on. So well said.

jenn said...

I totally agree. It's gotten out of hand. I stayed home this year and scored some amazing bargains on Amazon.com, in the comfort of living room with a steaming mug of coffee at my side. Perfection!

Anonymous said...

couldn't agree more. I am so glad that both of our big families are not the type that expect everyone to buy a gift for everyone else. We give to our kids (3 gifts each), parents, grandparents, and 2 or 3 other special relatives. all this "just buy something for the kids" gets rEdiculous when there are like 20 little kids in the family! PLEASE don't buy my kids any more crap just so they "have a present to open".

My 8yo told me the other day that he doesn't need any presents b/c it's supposed to be about Jesus. Of course he still asks for everything he sees on tv ;)

Anonymous said...

That was a very smart, thought-provoking post.

While I did go to Best Buy, they do "create" a more civil environment by passing out tickets for the door-busters. If you don't get a ticket, you don't get a door-buster and you can go home.

I will think twice next year, about getting caught up into that mess. I agree, that is not what Jesus would do.

kristin said...

Right on Ashley! My husband and I have long said that there's nothing we need *that* badly. I guess our gift recipients just suffer!

Melodie said...

I decided to stay home this Black Friday. Mostly because I didn't want to have to wake up early, but also because I haven't found many of the "deals" to be that great of deals the past couple of years.

However, I did end up having to send the hubby out to Home Depot at 6 am for one of their door-busters because it was an items we've been wanting for a couple of years at a price we could actually afford. But that was all of our Black Friday shopping.

Anonymous said...

Thank you! I have never been shopping on Black Friday. There is nothing I could ever want that would require me to get up at 3:00 a.m. and stand outside in the cold. I have been so bothered by that Walmart story. A man died because people couldn't wait. Wouldn't stop. And then got angry when the store closed for a few hours! Absolutely horrible.

Anonymous said...

I completely agree - I have never been shopping on Black Friday and will never go. I don't agree with encouraging humans to behave like barbarians to save a few bucks. I do all of my Christmas shopping online - it's worth a few extra dollars to avoid the crowds and potential danger.

Joy said...

You could not have paid me $4000 to go to Walmart at 6am on Black Friday, I barely will go there on a random thursday afternoon.

I did not really do much we went to Old Navy that afternoon and the line was 3 miles long and we walked right out, went to one other store and went home. But this was all at about noon I will NOT wake at 3 am for a deal I don't care how much I think I might save.

Anonymous said...

I participate once two years ago and it was such a pain the deals you got totally weren't worth it. So now I just don't go.
I feel bad about the walmart employee. I hope Walmart gets sued for it, or something drastic.

Shila Shila and Cult Jam said...

Not only do I boycott shopping on Black Friday, but I don't even leave the house.

EVERYTHING is a nightmare that day. I can't even have a nice lunch anywhere without it turning into a big hassle.

Unknown said...

I totally agree. Black Friday is terrifying, I have refused to go for two years now. There is just nothing about it that promotes the christmas message of kindness and cheer. I can' stop thinking about that poor family who lost their husband and father because he was trapped by people wanting to buy toys half off.

Jess said...

I totally and completely agree with you. I did do my shopping this last Saturday, but it had nothing to do with deals. It was when MIL could babysit so DH and I could go together.

Its crazy that people do what they do for a deal. I worked at the Disney Store in college. I had one fight breakout over a deal. Two moms started ramming each other with strollers. Yes, with their children in the strollers. It was sickening.

SuddenlySouthernCyndi said...

It's horrific and crazy that things have come to this! I hate to turn into my parents but; "What is this world coming to?"

Maddness of Me said...

I find that I get better deals online anyway. Free shipping, no mess no fuss.

I'm a bigger Cyber Monday fan than a Black Friday fan.

Anonymous said...

My daughter and I were at a Target early that morning. They passed out vouchers reserving the "big ticket" items. And you had until 8 o'clock to use it. It was a calm stroll into the store. Three hours after Wal-Mart had been open, we went and got everything we wanted. Our joke for the day was "While supplies last". We had a great day.

Ann in Alabama

Anonymous said...

We went shopping on Black Friday, but we left the house at 3 PM, and went to Target, Sam's Club, then Walmart. It was a little busy, but not overly crowded or crazy at all. We went with the mindset of "let's see what is left" and if our items are gone, well we can do the rational thing and order online or wait for the shelves to restock. There's an entire month until the big day, I'm sure there will be more items by then, even if they cost a little more.

We weren't looking for the big ticket items though, and no amount of savings is getting my ass out of bed that early.

In the spirit of ANTI-Black-Friday-selfish-psycho-bitch, I overheard a couple of women talking about a toy that they were looking for at Walmart... which I remembered a nice supply of at Sam's Club, so I told them about it.

See, why can't we all be nice?

Lauryn said...

I can't believe how awful people get this time of year, especially when it comes to saving $20 bucks.

I work at Best Buy and I really love the way we handle Black Friday. People wait in line all night long to save hundreds of dollars on laptops and TVs, but we ticket the items we have to the first people in line. AND we only let in about 50 at a time, because the ones with the tickets are going to get what they came for no matter what. AND we have our LP guys controlling the crowds coming in the door. It was completely calm and controlled.

I don't know how someone hasn't stepped in and made it mandatory for stores to handle this day differently. Either way, they're going to sell the items and make the money, so how about a bit more control? You'd think that with the economy being the way it is, companies would want to AVOID lawsuits...

Anonymous said...

I don't know what is more disturbing about that Walmart incident - the fact that they crushed someone to death trying to get in or that they continued to shop (and pitched a fit) when the store said it was closing because there had been a death. People are sick!

Mel said...

I can't get the Wal-Mart story out of my head either, and my husband said it was not even the first time something like this happened. I don't care if they were GIVING away 52 inch televisions or Playstations, or whatever it was that people thought was so damned important. It will never be worth a man's life. Never! I'm in one hundred thousand percent agreement, I plan on boycotting Black Friday. And that man's family? They should be compensated, HANDSOMELY, for their negligence. The store recklessly disregarded the safety of their employees, and they should pay as a result. Plus send his kids to college and from now on, scholarships should be given in his name to highschool seniors in that town.

And greedy ass people who trampled the guy? If they were caught on video, they should be found and prosecuted. I really hope that computer or tv was worth it to them. Maybe some Wal-Mart employee can leak the security tapes to youtube or CNN so those creeps can enjoy their moment in the spotlight as the greedy selfish monsters that they are.

These stores are helping create a mob mentality, and that should be a crime.

Thanks for saying what needed to be said, and doing it as well as you did. Because you are right, it really was a Black Friday.

Anonymous said...

amen! Will not ever participate in that crazy sh!t. Not worth the headache. It's very sad how out of control it has gotten. People dying??? Come on.

elaines630 said...

I'm totally with ya on that! I'm going to do whatever I can to avoid going to ANY stores. I'm trying to do it all online this year! (lots of places are offering free shipping too btw!)

Katie Says So said...

I totally agree!!! I am from a small town in the middle of nebraska so we dont really see that kind of thing...so it just sounds CRAZY to me!!! scary!!

Anonymous said...

Completely agree. Start a movement. They'll keep doing it as long as the mobs keep showing up to participate.

Susan

Mommy In Pink said...

I absolutely HATE Black Friday!

Always Organizing said...

Amen.

Anonymous said...

Bad knees make Black Friday a real "no-no" because it is not worth the pain. I did make a rare Saturday afternoon trip to the Walmart super store. Believe it or not over the holidays this store has free valet parking and their motorized carts are parked just inside the separate valet parking door. It was worth the $5 tip!

vmk

Michelle said...

Couldn't agree more. Do we really need to spend that much on a "big ticket item" for ONE person anyways? Christmas season and all the ambiance that goes with it is so much more than that.

Awful Beautiful Life said...

I agree!! I am the one waving at the long lines in my warm car w/my coffee....not at 3am of course. :)

Lipstick said...

Thunderous applause from me!!!

LuLu said...

You hit it nail on the head...love it!!! I don't want anything bad enough to risk my life over it!