Very Unusual...

[Dennis1209]

I don't know what it was like in your neck of the woods? But last Friday I had to drive around to get a few items I needed. I passed by a bunch of stores and shopping areas, went into the AT&T store to get an iPhone charger, with only one customer ahead of me. I was pleasantly surprised all the stores and traffic was less than usual on a Friday afternoon, back home in no time. 

Then it hit me later that day; today is Black Friday! I remember the years when my family would wake up and leave to go shopping for deals at 4:00 A.M., and shop most of the day (not me, is you be crazy or what. LOL). I remember the traffic jams, parking problems, people snatching items out of other people's hands etc. The one and only time I accompanied them.

As I said, business everywhere I seen was a little less than normal for a Friday. In retrospect, that's saying a lot about the state of our economy I suspect. 

Anyone witness the same in your area?

[appy]

Why bother going to stores, when I can shop for the same items online and have them delivered.    No standing in long lines for 45 minutes waiting to get up to the cash register to purchase one or two items.  Even the so called "quick" lines are so busy it takes the same amount of time to get up to the register.  Self check out lines do not move any faster than the other two.

No driving all over town checking to see who has what I need or want. Wasting my time and gas.  Check out employees will be at the register for an entire shift, so they aren't concerned about how fast the lines go, Your (collective your, no one here specifically) time is unimportant to cashiers.  

The attitude is that they are not their to serve customers, they are there to be a warm body that desires a paycheck.  You (collective you, no one here specifically) on the other hand are there for their benefit.

On the other hand, where I live traffic has tripled in the last 3 weeks, its Christmas already.

[missmuffet]

2 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

I don't know what it was like in your neck of the woods? But last Friday I had to drive around to get a few items I needed. I passed by a bunch of stores and shopping areas, went into the AT&T store to get an iPhone charger, with only one customer ahead of me. I was pleasantly surprised all the stores and traffic was less than usual on a Friday afternoon, back home in no time. 

Then it hit me later that day; today is Black Friday! I remember the years when my family would wake up and leave to go shopping for deals at 4:00 A.M., and shop most of the day (not me, is you be crazy or what. LOL). I remember the traffic jams, parking problems, people snatching items out of other people's hands etc. The one and only time I accompanied them.

As I said, business everywhere I seen was a little less than normal for a Friday. In retrospect, that's saying a lot about the state of our economy I suspect. 

Anyone witness the same in your area?

Everyone is spending their black friday on-line. One reason why the malls and department stores are going out of business. 

[Sower]

3 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Anyone witness the same in your area?

I wouldn't know, and didn't even know it was 'black Friday' (really) Don't watch commercials.
Living in the country and not even a small town, I guess we miss out on the "fun and excitement"
Don't like crowds, or the heard mentality that develops. Notice aggressiveness surfaces.
My wife and I have our date night Friday evening, a meal, hand picked Netflix  movie, then Blue Bloods.
Have not noticed anything different shopping than any other weeks in the past.
There was a mild shortage of the pork tamales with jalapenos for a while though, pre  Thanksgiving.
But that happens every year.....

[angels4u]

4 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

I don't know what it was like in your neck of the woods? But last Friday I had to drive around to get a few items I needed. I passed by a bunch of stores and shopping areas, went into the AT&T store to get an iPhone charger, with only one customer ahead of me. I was pleasantly surprised all the stores and traffic was less than usual on a Friday afternoon, back home in no time. 

Then it hit me later that day; today is Black Friday! I remember the years when my family would wake up and leave to go shopping for deals at 4:00 A.M., and shop most of the day (not me, is you be crazy or what. LOL). I remember the traffic jams, parking problems, people snatching items out of other people's hands etc. The one and only time I accompanied them.

As I said, business everywhere I seen was a little less than normal for a Friday. In retrospect, that's saying a lot about the state of our economy I suspect. 

Anyone witness the same in your area?

I didn't go out to get anything,I just get whatever when I need it, Dennis I think the deals were better 20 years,now you see sales all the time..

[MrBear]

I remember the days of getting up at 6 am waiting in long lines for the stores to open as a kid .. it was exciting seeing people stampede each other over ashtrays and coffee pots, sometimes the stores would hand out crackerjack boxes that might have real diamond ? ring in it

But times have indeed changed now people don’t have to leave their homes ? 

Cyber Mondays have a bigger impact at my warehouse, we have so many back orders it “ might” get cleared out in 2 weeks ?

SHALOM❤️

[The_Patriot21]

It didnt seem near as bad either. I never go shopping on black fridays...i usually go in a day or two after and pick through whats left...if they sell out, well i didnt need the deal that bad. If you honestly looked at them, they usually arnt that great anyway...certainly not good enough to fight the crowds for.

Well...i went in on sunday...walmart already had all their black friday stuff cleaned up....which was a first. I did get a decent deal on a milwaulee sawzaw at home depot which was nice. They definitely wernt sold out of any of their deals.

I think the whole covid thing, especially combined with inflation really put a damper on black friday sales. They wernt even advertised as hard here as they have been years last. Might be one of the few good things to come of this covid nonsense.

[ayin jade]

Traffic was pretty heavy Friday but since I am new to the area, I dont know if its better or worse. The stores do not seem to carry anything I want lately, when we have gone into stores. For myself, we dont have money to spend. My husband has been out of work for 4 years, (dealing with my medical issues, a move, the pandemic etc) only getting a new job this week. I made one big purchase online for plastic dishes ... no one here carried any plastic dishes that looked nice. The pandemic may have hurt spending too.

[Mama Etna]

I stayed home that day and watched movies.  I abominate Black Friday.  I always have.