Is Traditional Black Friday Shopping (Brick and Mortar) Finally Dead?

[pc747]

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This past weekend they estimated that Black Friday sales were down a billion dollars. While online sales went up we saw traditional Black Friday shopping at brick and mortar stores plummeted. Yeah we still had those who wanted to go out and fight over a tv, but shoppers seem to have wised up. Why wake up early after a day of stuffing your face to fight over a sale when you can do it from the same device you are using to surf through fb and twitter.

Unless you have to have it right now, which Amazon is looking to change that with their drones, then you end up saving time, hassle, headache, and money. Unfortunately this could hurt those who pick up those extra hours over the holidays at your local brick and mortar, but it means not having to get up early on your day off.

Source: Black Friday Sales Down More Than $1 Billion

 

[Jeffrey]

Is Black Friday Dead? Doesn't matter if you go to the store or buy online.. It's still Black Friday..

 

[pc747]

Is Black Friday Dead? Doesn't matter if you go to the store or buy online.. It's still Black Friday..

Correct...let me re-phrase that.

 

[pc747]

Title and Op edited .......

 

[94lt1]

We all know I'm the nut job around here..I have no qualms about confrontation.. But I've learned alot about confrontation through my life..and one of those things is..you don't know what the person across from you knows about confrontation...

Let me tell ya its safer now days to buy online and it comes with more of a guarantee..

But also with today's craziness.. If my SO or gf is going to be at a black Friday sale..I'll be there with her.. Cause people are acting like me out there LOL...

In all seriousness.. Folks. It's the day after the day we're supposed to be saying how thankful we are..and people are willing to cut your head off with a spork handle , for a deal on a TV... The spending helps the economy.. But there are screaming deals 2 weeks before black Friday, and cyber Monday is a huge thing..just see what kind of deals are out tomorrow.... And it will continue until Christmas eve..the day after Christmas there are still some really good deals to be had..

But to those of us who love mortal combat..Walmart style...I'll see ya in line

 

[pc747]

We all know I'm the nut job around here..I have no qualms about confrontation.. But I've learned alot about confrontation through my life..and one of those things is..you don't know what the person across from you knows about confrontation...

Let me tell ya its safer now days to buy online and it comes with more of a guarantee..

But also with today's craziness.. If my SO or gf is going to be at a black Friday sale..I'll be there with her.. Cause people are acting like me out there LOL...

In all seriousness.. Folks. It's the day after the day we're supposed to be saying how thankful we are..and people are willing to cut your head off with a spork handle , for a deal on a TV... The spending helps the economy.. But there are screaming deals 2 weeks before black Friday, and cyber Monday is a huge thing..just see what kind of deals are out tomorrow.... And it will continue until Christmas eve..the day after Christmas there are still some really good deals to be had..

But to those of us who love mortal combat..Walmart style...I'll see ya in line

Was that you in that photo in the op


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[thunderbolt_nick]

Meh. I don't see the point anymore when there are plenty of comparable and better deals with most online outlets.

One year when working at a movie theater on Black Friday, one of my managers came in while I was working after returning from Black Friday. I had to ask, "Why is it that you do all that? Look all this stuff I got and I can just get it by the end of this week." To which he responded to me, "But that would ruin all the fun." So, it leads me to believe this is all a psychological congregation of sorts like buying an iPhone on release date at an Apple Store. It seems to be a type of tradition. More and more of those people who are having bad experiences are finally seeing the light when it comes to online shopping. Will it ever die? Well, don't you still see people going to the Apple Store on iPhone Day? It will dwindle, but I hardly see it being eradicated.

 

[pc747]

Meh. I don't see the point anymore when there are plenty of comparable and better deals with most online outlets.

One year when working at a movie theater on Black Friday, one of my managers came in while I was working after returning from Black Friday. I had to ask, "Why is it that you do all that? Look all this stuff I got and I can just get it by the end of this week." To which he responded to me, "But that would ruin all the fun." So, it leads me to believe this is all a psychological congregation of sorts like buying an iPhone on release date at an Apple Store. It seems to be a type of tradition. More and more of those people who are having bad experiences are finally seeing the light when it comes to online shopping. Will it ever die? Well, don't you still see people going to the Apple Store on iPhone Day? It will dwindle, but I hardly see it being eradicated.

Yeah you are correct and sadly there are people going out on BF looking for a fight.

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[dezymond]

I don't think that these in-store deals will ever die. The deals will get "better" and the perks will too. Less people will definitely show up, but all-in-all, there will be customers waiting in front of those doors.

For me it was never worth it. The time spent getting a $40 jacket for $10 or a $600 TV for $350 isn't worth it to me. The fact that there really are some people there willing to fight for that same item isn't worth it to me. I try to avoid confrontation, I've never been involved in one and I sure as hell am not going to find out what I'm capable of to save 40% off a specific item. I'll take the comfort in my chair at home and order online without having to sacrifice my energy, time, and more importantly time spent with my family to go line up in the cold for a couple hours.

 

[Mustang02]

Every store I heard of was open thanksgiving day so that defeats the purpose of "black Friday". They should be looking at sales for the whole weekend, not just one day. The stores didn't lose $1bil in sales, it was on other days.

 

[Jeffrey]

I agree with Dez. I refuse to wait online for a movie yet a sale on something I may like but really don't need.

 

[94lt1]

I think a large portion of those that will show up..are those that need to show up.. In other words the people that couldn't get that particular thing without some kind of great savings..but I have to say I've seen greedy people just getting them because its the next big thing..take the ps4 last year..

I saw people buying them by the dozen. They were counting on play station not releasing any more, and they'd have a monopoly of them...remember tickle me Elmo? I had on that sold for 1200$ when I had bought 2 by mere happenstance that year...but PlayStation got some out..end of story..and some people lost their holiday fortune...

 

[Sajo]

Sales may have been down in total dollars spent, but where I live the usual stores were packed with people on Friday and traffic was horrible. It was not dead around here, folks were out & about and busy shopping.

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[PereDroid]

I don't know what it was like. I try not to leave the house on BF.

I've never really trusted BF deals.
Other then the "50 inch TV for $150, quantity 2 per store" which I would never camp out for, I simply don't believe in MOST deals.

• Many times a manufacturer will make a TV specifically for, say, Sears and it's different by one letter in the model name. So it has no reviews or track record.
• Other times, for example: HH Gregg has a nice Cyber Monday SALE SALE SALE on a Sammy TV, 43" only $368. Wow! Great deal!

Samsung 43" 1080p Smart HDTV | hhgregg
Right?
Let's search that model number:
Sears: $367.99
Walmart: $367.99
B&H: $367.99
BJ's: $349.99
Wait.... what?
Newegg: $367.99
QVC: $429.96... THERE we go...it is a deal...if you're a QVC shopper....
or HomeDepot (HD sells TV's?): $499.00.

And I don't believe for ONE second that the price will go up to the "regular" price of $499 tomorrow....

 

[PereDroid]

Follow up: Price indeed DID go up to $479.
In fact it went up on every site that had it at $368.
Interesting...