I was so excited to peruse the 2008 Black Friday Ads, I gleefully clicked my way through all of the online previews of the ads, as well as special online only deals. I am disappointed. Where are all the good deals? I will be curious what the report on Monday will be for this year’s weekend-after-Thanksgiving spending spree.
I know that the forecast for the shopping season this year wasn’t good but does that mean the retailers should offer less deals? One relative theorized that perhaps the retailers knew that 500 people instead of 5,000 people would show up, thus, why go through the trouble? True, true, but to offer limited discounts on just a few items? That makes me not want to shop in their stores at all.
A few examples that come to mind are the following:
T.V.’s – Most of the deals I saw out there were for brands known for low-quality products (television wise) – such as Emerson and Polaroid. My grandfather was in the market this year for a new t.v. but has now decided to wait and see if he can find one on clearance later this year.
Clothing – I typically will drop a couple hundred dollars on black Friday sales (shopping online exclusively as I do not want to end up on the evening news as the shopper who lost her cool) but this year one of my favorite retailers, Lane Bryant, has left me high and dry. They are having a buy one get one free sale in their store and online this weekend. Now, in some cases, this does add up to great savings, I’ll give them that. But in one particular department, BRAS, this is not a huge sale. At least three times per year they have buy one get one free bras. So to call this a “Black Friday Special” is false, in my opinion. Black Friday should mean wonderful once a year savings, not something you offer throughout the year anyway.
Toys – Kohl’s is offering 40-50% off of all of their toys – um, Kohl’s is almost always offering 40-50% off their toys – now tell me again how that is a black friday event? Yeah, thought so.
In the end, I am really hoping that the shrewd shopper prevails and realizes that not all, but many, of the “deals” being offered today and this weekend are not exactly stellar – and hopefully they will bypass purchasing them altogether.
