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Black Friday


Jeff Smith

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What is the significance or reason for Black Friday anywhere in the world other than the US where it is the shopping day after Thanksgiving?  This time last year I saw it being advertised in Venice and I know it has been promoted in the UK.

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13 minutes ago, Jeff Smith said:

What is the significance or reason for Black Friday anywhere in the world other than the US ...

 

Another excuse to extract money from consumers' wallets - like the many other previously-small, locally-celebrated festivals that have been expanded to transnational events? :smile_mini2:

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First introduced to the U.K. from America by Apple at their Apple Stores and online, for one day only.

There were genuine discounts and savings and they were the only place that did it for a few years.

 

Then the idea was copied by a couple of other retail chains, it rapidly became Black Friday weekend, then Black Friday Week.

Now we have Black Friday Fortnight and more.

In the usual modern day retailing tradition, most of the so called “Bargains” are in fact a rip off and the whole thing has become a con.

Completely ruined the idea of a genuine one day snap sale, with real savings.

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This article appeared in the Guardian a few days ago, to show what a con Black Friday has become in the UK.

 

Apparently, some items actually fall in price once Black Friday is over and Christmas draws closer.

 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/nov/26/black-friday-uk-discounts-genuine-which?fbclid=IwAR0s_KcqTYboF-sVVe84ilFe7uQQFj-rWS__PcGeg5nv5543freStVeUU80

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Of course retailers aren't going to drop prices at the busiest time of year when they sell the most anyway, unlike just afterwards when they want shot of leftover stock. Which is why it started in the USA after Thanksgiving and they can get cheap stuff with it there, unlike in the UK where it makes no sense, other than to try to take advantage of people who think it does.

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2 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

Are Easter Eggs in the shops yet?

 

The Creme Eggs will be out just after Christmas, but before New Year.

 

Nice and sunny, tho' cold here.

 

10 hours ago, BR60103 said:

In Canada the week after Christmas is now being promoted as "Boxing Week".

 

Is that when all the useless presents are repackaged for return and refund?

 

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2 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

The Creme Eggs will be out just after Christmas, but before New Year.

 

Nice and sunny, tho' cold here.

 

 

Is that when all the useless presents are repackaged for return and refund?

 

Well yes, the returns desks are usually pretty busy at that time!

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The origins of Black Friday are of course, from the US, but the major retailers here have used it as a way to generate excitement and sales.

 

A few years ago in the UK, the main sale event was the "Boxing Day Sales". I worked for a major electronics retail chain, and one year, our pre-christmas sales were down substantially. HQ panicked. We were told to bring forward the Boxing Day sales. Then the following year sales were down in early December - so the "Boxing Day Sales" moved from starting on the 23rd to starting on the 18th. I think Black Friday was the end result - the "sales" start now.

 

Of course, what I think happened is that people stopped buying in anticipation of the sales starting - and each year they were started earlier simply fuelled the dip the following year. I see that now, Black Friday is less of a bump in sales than in years gone by - so maybe they will start bringing it forward too?

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8 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

Are Easter Eggs in the shops yet?

Generally they are in the warehouse of the store I work at on xmas eve. On boxing day all trace of xmas decs are removed frm the store and the easter egss go on sale.

 

cheers 

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47 minutes ago, Rivercider said:

Generally they are in the warehouse of the store I work at on xmas eve. On boxing day all trace of xmas decs are removed frm the store and the easter egss go on sale.

US retail has Valentine's Day to keep Christmas and Easter marketing apart.

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4 hours ago, JohnR said:

A few years ago in the UK, the main sale event was the "Boxing Day Sales".

 

And that was a backsliding too.

It used to be the January Sales!

 

The only January sales I remember getting anything interesting at was when I got a Corgi James Bond car, the one with the rocket launcher in the boot from You Only Live Twice!

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2 hours ago, Mark Saunders said:

 

I failed someone posted Accurascale discounts!

 

Mark Saunders

Yep me too, genuine discounts as well, I was umming and ahhing but they broke me in the end, good old Uncle Visa.

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I am in the market for a new tv for our lounge, there is a particular model we want having looked at it in a showroom and comparing it with various other models and makes. This morning, it appeared on that company's web site at the lowest price it has ever been tracked at - and it is still a very current model - so a purchase has been made.

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