Alright, it's another Sunday and I almost forgot to get this one typed up. I got severely distracted. We got Disney+ just before Thanksgiving and then a new TV with Roku on Thursday night at the start of all the Black Friday deals. We stop by Walmart to pick up ingredients needed to brine a turkey for this weekend (yesterday's lunch) and there are still Black Friday deals available. A few were for things we could seriously use (more mixing bowls and other kitchen gadgets...) so there was no way we were passing them up. Then it was the second season in Illinois for deer hunters, and of course, my husband just had to tag out. I get up this morning and almost forgot that I hadn't sat down to type a post yet.
Since I mentioned that we took advantage of some Black Friday deals, I have to admit that if it weren't for the TV, we'd have likely not gone at all. We needed a TV with working sound so we weren't running everything through a computer. This means I can now watch movies while my husband is on his gaming. The biggest problem I have with it is that it started at 6pm on Thursday evening instead of midnight. I get it. Times have been changing and they'll keep on changing.
For one thing, introverts and anti-social people can actually have a voice that is heard now thanks to chatrooms and forums. This is a good thing. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and when MySpace used to be a thing, help those who are less willing or likely to speak up and be heard to have a voice when a question is asked. Facebook even has a recommendation system for people wanting to know about a great place to eat or to go shop that's not necessarily mainstream (like Walmart, Target, etc.). Small businesses are better able to reach more of their customers than just those who live in their advertising zone thanks to being able to follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. This also allows them to get out the word about deals - including Black Friday - to those who are likely to want to know them.
For those who really hate getting out in the crowds, there's also Cyber Monday, a way for online shoppers to also reap the benefits of the start of the holiday shopping craze! I will be utterly and completely honest here, I don't do a lot of online shopping. I do some, but I prefer to go to brick and mortar stores and be able to see it in person. It helps me determine dimensions and if I truly want something. If I'm not willing to go to a store to get it, do I really want to spend the money for it? This is especially true of clothing, food, and furniture. Most of the rest, I'm more willing to shop online - especially in regards to books - but will still be more likely to shop in a brick and mortar than online store.
With the changes made, while I'm not a fan of cutting Thanksgiving short just to get some Christmas shopping done, I will admit that I believe the stores have learned from the past. There was no crowd waiting to enter the store. There weren't a lot of people fighting over the last one or two of something in the first few minutes of the sales being opened up. There were lines for the big items that would have possibly caused people to have issues shopping. In fact, the large items were a barcode on a sheet of paper. When you were done with your shopping you could drive to the designated pick up location and they would load it in your vehicle, making certain to mark it off your receipt- if you had a paper one - and the paper with the barcode. We paid for our TV using the store's app since I had gift cards on it. They couldn't really mark it off of that.
Basically, while I'm not a fan of the deals beginning on the night of Thanksgiving, promoting people leaving their families to hunt down the best deals available, I have to admit, the stores are getting smarter about ensuring their customers' safety. Yes, people are idiots and there are likely to eventually be stampedes for things again when something comes out that is as big as the Cabbage Patch dolls, Tickle-Me-Elmo, or Harry Potter, but that can happen at any time of year. I mean, we all see the TV portrayals of long lines waiting for the release of items or for the store or ticket booths to open for things that are hugely beloved. After all, we love to get great deals and a great deal for something that is really wanted by someone? They'll stampede for that, or wait outside in line for months to ensure they get it. It's what is making counterfeiters so much money. We've been all about having the latest and greatest that we'll spend for it and risk a lot for a great deal. Hell, I had to remind my husband to wait until Black Friday to get a TV because he found one on sale this past summer for $170. It was a smart TV, but only about 42in, if I remember correctly. I reminded him about Black Friday and how electronics are almost always on sale then. He finds a 50in smart TV with Roku for $150 and it gave me enough time to earn $55 in gift cards through Ibotta, Shopkick, Drop, FetchRewards, and ReceiptPal - none of which I've been really hardcore about using since downloading.
The tradition of Black Friday is changing - evolving with the times and what we want and like as people. Isn't that what traditions are supposed to do? Honor the past while still evolving and changing with the times and new things that are added? I mean, I'm an American, and that's what America did. We changed our culture to fit with the ideals that not every person is the same. Yes, we have our problems and we have things that we need to change to be more accepting, but we are hugely a commerce-based country, and Black Friday, one could say is a holiday that brings out the best and the worst traits of every person on the globe.
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