Black Friday coming soon to the UK. WHAT THE F***!! WHY?!?!

[CriticalMiss]

Why? Because the UK needs to experience Dawn of The Dead in real life too!

Personally I am against it because, as a briton, I have a genetic compulsion to queue in an orderly fashion. All this faff with ripping doors off a storefront to get a bargain on cheap electronics I don't actually want is just not my bag baby.

 

[Pink Gregory]

Oh the race for consumer electronics, how quaint.

You know if you saved for a bit longer you could buy that thing at any time you want?

 

[Parasondox]

You're welcome

-Sincerely,
'Merica

Honestly, yeah the crowds suck but that whole "EVERY DIES! SHOOTOUTS AND TRAMPLINGS EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!" is so stupidly overblown that I'm shocked that anyone still believes it. I've gone to a few events and I have yet to even see someone get hurt, let alone get killed like the news programs promised.

A quick search yielded this story from a few years back, about a Wal-Mart employee who was trampled and killed by people stampeding into a store. http://m.nydailynews.com/1.334059

This video shows how crazy it can get, even to the point where the cords break the doors open to get inside just to buy things.


It truly disgusts me. I work in retail, and most people are nice enough, but the bad ones, they make your day pretty crap. If I was in that situation, I would have a hard time being nice to any of them the way they are acting in that video. Time and a half pay on retail wages don't make up for a lot of that kind of stuff.

Is it exaggerated by people as to how bad it gets? Of course. But that fact that at least one person has died due to the greed of others wanting a few bucks off something materialistic, is at least one person too many.

Well I swear those were scenes from World War Z with the super mega fast zombies climbing over each other for fresh meat. That's haunting.

 

[2fish]

Why? Because the UK needs to experience Dawn of The Dead in real life too!

Personally I am against it because, as a briton, I have a genetic compulsion to queue in an orderly fashion. All this faff with ripping doors off a storefront to get a bargain on cheap electronics I don't actually want is just not my bag baby.

Line up orderly then once you get into the store glass people. BAM best of both worlds. Remember to get in a fist fight over the cheap products while ignoring the ones that are actually worth buying!

Now that black Friday has made its way in we will soon have to make you a state you know. Step by step we will get more than 50 states!

 

[Luminous Chroma]

It doesn't have to be a bad experience. I went out to grab a new TV and Blu-Ray player on Thursday evening. Yes, the stores were packed, but no one was pushing, trampling, or really being rude in any way. Everyone crazy enough to shop in that timeframe knows what to expect and was mentally prepared for it. Honestly, it was rather fun. Sort of felt like the holiday shopping season was kicking off, and I personally LOVE that season. Just don't take it too seriously, and only go out if you want to. It's an opportunity, not an obligation.

 

[deathbydeath]

Why is everyone complaining? Capitalism has been around for centuries; this kind of thing was inevitable.

 

[AgedGrunt]

Don't be afraid of our unnecessary consumer patriotism rubbing off on you, embrace it and buy tons of things you and your loved ones could live without.

Really you already said it, it's to get people in the door. Retail isn't exactly in great shape so this concept is actually expanding. Believe it was Wal-Mart that opened their "Black Friday" on our Thanksgiving at 6pm, Thursday. E-tailers have been pushing sales earlier and are still advertising weekend "Friday" sales.

The chaos I think is a bit overrated; woe to thee retail employees that missed their holiday and deal with this for days.

 

[tippy2k2]

A quick search yielded this story from a few years back, about a Wal-Mart employee who was trampled and killed by people stampeding into a store. http://m.nydailynews.com/1.334059

This video shows how crazy it can get, even to the point where the cords break the doors open to get inside just to buy things.

video snip

It truly disgusts me. I work in retail, and most people are nice enough, but the bad ones, they make your day pretty crap. If I was in that situation, I would have a hard time being nice to any of them the way they are acting in that video. Time and a half pay on retail wages don't make up for a lot of that kind of stuff.

Is it exaggerated by people as to how bad it gets? Of course. But that fact that at least one person has died due to the greed of others wanting a few bucks off something materialistic, is at least one person too many.

This is going to sound cold and heartless but I don't think there' any other way I could say it that doesn't sound cold and heartless...

This kind of stuff isn't Black Friday's fault. This is the cause of very stupid people (and sometimes stupid management from the stores). Fortunately, while the news would tell you that every place is a war-zone, that's not the case. These are isolated incidents involving very stupid people (many times they are also preventable but the stores choose not to implement the more sensible thing like ticket stubs for people in line). To cancel all of the events because of a handful of incidents is canceling all video games because a handful of stupid people decided that playing GTAV meant they should shoot up their school.

I do feel bad for incidents like these but these are the exceptions, not the rule and they are almost totally preventable with systems that many stores have started implementing

For example:
Walmart doors are open before the event starts so people are at the products they want in a line; no stampede because you're in a specific line for your specific product). The video shows half of that system where they put the items in the middle of nowhere and let people have at it but the Wal-Mart I went to had specific lines you had to go to for specific big tickets.

Best Buy has been giving tickets to people in line while they're still outside. Employees go to the front of the line with (let's say 20 big ticket TVs are available) 20 tickets and give them to the first twenty people. They do this for all the big ticket items and there is no longer any reason for the stampede.

Two different systems that I've seen in my area that have prevented the primary source of injuries; the stampede. Will this prevent everything? Probably not (there's bound to be a thug or two who thinks he can just punch an old lady to snatch the TV away during the event) but stupid people are going to do stupid things.

 

[Towels]

I'm curious Great Britain, Do you recognize Thanksgiving (The American Holiday just before Black Friday)? Are you guys thankful you got rid of the Puritans?

How about you guys up in Canada?

I can see the economics of having a huge sale day roughly a month before Christmas and why just make it congruent with an American Sale day. But in the States we 'traditionally' begin celebrating the Winter Holiday season after our Thanksgiving, which is always the last Thursday of November. (Although there are many Americans start celebrating after Halloween.) Is there a holiday you guys have that kicks off the winter holidays?

 

[Weaver]

I hope shoppers just start rushing into stores and robbing them blind in the chaos.

 

[Psychobabble]

Hello Escapist

Okay I am just going to say it straight away and just stop this and stop this right now. The USA has some great idea to liven things up and make the dull things more fun but we don't have to copy every idea. In the past few years it has been proms making a big appearance for secondary school leavers and now Black Friday. That's right several stores in the UK are trying to promote more "Black Friday" deals just to get shoppers in the door. Don't get me wrong I don't mind shops doing promotions but not copy an idea from the USA that has some extreme press. Some good but many just bad with wild shoppers and insane scenarios.

Maybe I am just being grumpy like those from Grumpy Old Men (I miss that show) but what do you think about this and do we in the UK need "Black Friday" and what do those from across the pond think of adapting this idea.

Comment below and thank you.

I'm guessing the constabulary felt there just wasn't a high enough level of GBH crimes.

Consumers, what does it say about how retailers feel about you when they treat you like the zoo at feeding time?

 

[Raggedstar]

Canada has been starting it in the past several years, but they have a different motivation that the UK doesn't have. It's not unusual for Canadians to make day trips to the USA to buy stuff (especially since a lot of stuff even when they aren't on sale are cheaper than in Canada). There are people in my family who do that. My grandparents live only about an hour away from Watertown, New York, and someone else in my family even pulls her kids out from school on Black Friday to go to Buffalo (which is about 4 hours away). The Canadian shops want to keep the money in Canada, hence the moving of Black Friday here.

Personally I don't think it's too bad that Black Friday is moving elsewhere. If you can get the stuff you want for cheaper, no problems here. No one is forcing you to go. Just as long as the "ravenous dogs" attitude associated with the worst in America isn't involved. Never went Black Friday shopping here, but I know shoppers on Canadian Boxing Day are normally very polite. Violence is pretty infrequent from what I've noticed. Crowded with some pushing, but that can be expected when things are butt-to-gut. I went game shopping a few years ago without trouble, and years before that I got some RAM (it was a time when 1 GB for $25 was a bargain) and a new monitor without fearing for my life. As is Canadian tradition, I often heard a lot of "sorry"s lol.

 

[Brittanosaurus]

I imagine the stores in the UK that are promoting Black Friday are probably doing it to try and make more money to compensate for all the cash they waste on their brick and mortar buildings all year. I don't understand why anyone would still shop in a physical store rather than use the internet, but obviously some people must like the idea of gathering in big crowds for Black Friday in the UK otherwise the stores wouldn't be pushing it.

 

[shootthebandit]

reminds me of this scene

This sort of out and out aggressive capitalism doesnt really suit britain. We love waiting in queues just to then complain about the wait. people fighting over stuff rather than forming an orderly queue is unheard of.

Its completely barbaric and needless and it stems from an extreme capitalist mentality. People fighting like this over bags of rice in Sudan I can at least understand but this is just petty.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Eugh, I hate shopping. A holiday all about shopping has never had appeal to me.

 

[Evonisia]

Black Friday was rampant yesterday, my local supermarket was selling HDTVs at £99 so everyone went mad. Two people were arrested and several people hurt. Thanks, America.

In fact here's a video of it for you all to enjoy.

 

[Varrdy]

I reckon it's payback for Piers Morgan!

 

[Fearzone]

The "Black Friday" that everybody hears about with shoppers fighting, etc. originated from bait and switch sales (i.e. $100 for an XBox! *First 10 only) offered the day after Thanksgiving when people were in a festive frame of mind and probably had the day off. People would get in line at all hours of the morning to get their $100 XBox, and it became a thing from there.

The whole thing is distasteful but it isn't evil. Sales are a good thing and nothing wrong with stores having them. Limiting sales to only a certain number sold after which it returns to regular price, again I think it is distasteful and creates the climate we see, but it isn't wrong. It is sad to see people herded like sheep so easily, by those who partake mostly seem to be enjoying themselves.

 

[Da Orky Man]

Why? Because the UK needs to experience Dawn of The Dead in real life too!

Personally I am against it because, as a briton, I have a genetic compulsion to queue in an orderly fashion. All this faff with ripping doors off a storefront to get a bargain on cheap electronics I don't actually want is just not my bag baby.

There's no reason you can't have Black Friday and not queue. Hell, here's something that happened during the London Riots:

Spoiler

Queuing to loot a store with its windows smashed. Even in our darkest ours, we queue.

 

[shootthebandit]

Why? Because the UK needs to experience Dawn of The Dead in real life too!

Personally I am against it because, as a briton, I have a genetic compulsion to queue in an orderly fashion. All this faff with ripping doors off a storefront to get a bargain on cheap electronics I don't actually want is just not my bag baby.

There's no reason you can't have Black Friday and not queue. Hell, here's something that happened during the London Riots:

Spoiler

Queuing to loot a store with its windows smashed. Even in our darkest ours, we queue.

This is by far the most british picture ever. Americans fight each other to buy stuff while we queue up to loot stuff

Ironically black friday was the only day of the year where DFS didnt have a sale (UK people will get this joke)