Why The Black Friday Madness Has To Stop

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I’ve never been a fan of one day rush sales like the Black Friday ones. Having been in retail many years ago, sales time was always a hectic and stressful time.

For those working the shop floor, it meant a long day of shoving and pushing and often bruised bodies at the end of the shift. The stories making the news from this year’s Black Friday are testament to why this craziness needs to stop.

What sales push could possibly be worth the death of a shopworker and the miscarriage of a woman’s baby? What does it say about both humanity and the greed of retailers?

The defining message in social media is that of sharing and helping others to better themselves. How many of the people that continued to barge by the dying shopworker are Twitter users, or Facebook members? Does the message of sharing and making ourselves better stop at social media? Doesn’t it have a place in the real world?

Many people have said that Barack Obama is “the social media President”. Not only did he use the medium to great effect during his campaign, he also offers a parallel to social media through his “Vote for Change” policies. Empower everyone, make the world around us a better place through caring and sharing.

If this is the case, he needs to make one of his promises more widespread. Instead of just focusing on corporate greed, he needs to look at why retailers hold back on prices until sales days like Black Fridays. If retailers can afford to offload so much stock at crazy prices one day a year, there’s nothing to stop them having these prices throughout the year.

I know it’s a tough market – as a business owner myself, I know profit is becoming even tighter as the economic bite kicks in.

But is any profit worth the death and injury we saw yesterday? People scramble for Black Friday sales because the retailers (and, to a degree, the manufacturers) fix prices throughout the year and offer less reasons to buy. Shoppers therefore wait until sales time, whether it’s Black Friday, Boxing Day or other sales periods.

We need to stop this process now, before anyone else gets hurt. Is that too much to ask?

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About Danny

Danny Brown is Chief Technologist at ArCompany and an award-winning marketer and blogger. His blog is recognized as the #1 marketing blog in the world by HubSpot. Danny is also co-author of Influence Marketing: How to Create, Manage and Measure Brand Influencers in Social Media Marketing.

17 comments
David  aka DaveBP
David aka DaveBP

Unfortunately, no amount of legal action, aside from a judicial injunction, will make Walmart change the way they do business. This is the way they have always done it and to them it's the only way. BTW, didn't they make a profit from Black Friday sales? The graph showed a nice vertical spike for them. In regard to the poor, unfortunate victim of retail inspired frenzy, a legal action will take place and several settlement offers will be offered and rejected then accepted by the family because they won't have the financial resources to fight the giant. It's sad to say but it will be in their best interests to accept the best offer they can get. Last note here. Why wasn't a salaried member of management present to unlock the door instead of a seasonal maintenance man. Keys and door locks are the express domain of salaried personnel, unless it was because of the fact that many stores were not allowed to hire seasonal sales help this year. Hmmmm!

David aka DaveBP´s last blog post..Sarah Palin - Persona Non Grata?

David aka DaveBP
David aka DaveBP

Unfortunately, no amount of legal action, aside from a judicial injunction, will make Walmart change the way they do business. This is the way they have always done it and to them it's the only way. BTW, didn't they make a profit from Black Friday sales? The graph showed a nice vertical spike for them. In regard to the poor, unfortunate victim of retail inspired frenzy, a legal action will take place and several settlement offers will be offered and rejected then accepted by the family because they won't have the financial resources to fight the giant. It's sad to say but it will be in their best interests to accept the best offer they can get. Last note here. Why wasn't a salaried member of management present to unlock the door instead of a seasonal maintenance man. Keys and door locks are the express domain of salaried personnel, unless it was because of the fact that many stores were not allowed to hire seasonal sales help this year. Hmmmm!

David aka DaveBP´s last blog post..Sarah Palin - Persona Non Grata?

David  aka DaveBP
David aka DaveBP

Unfortunately, no amount of legal action, aside from a judicial injunction, will make Walmart change the way they do business. This is the way they have always done it and to them it's the only way. BTW, didn't they make a profit from Black Friday sales? The graph showed a nice vertical spike for them. In regard to the poor, unfortunate victim of retail inspired frenzy, a legal action will take place and several settlement offers will be offered and rejected then accepted by the family because they won't have the financial resources to fight the giant. It's sad to say but it will be in their best interests to accept the best offer they can get. Last note here. Why wasn't a salaried member of management present to unlock the door instead of a seasonal maintenance man. Keys and door locks are the express domain of salaried personnel, unless it was because of the fact that many stores were not allowed to hire seasonal sales help this year. Hmmmm! David aka DaveBP´s last blog post..Sarah Palin - Persona Non Grata?

Danny
Danny

I couldn't have worded that better myself, Suze - thank you for sharing what any right-minded person must surely be thinking.

Danny
Danny

I couldn't have worded that better myself, Suze - thank you for sharing what any right-minded person must surely be thinking.

Susan Murphy
Susan Murphy

My brother told me an even more tragic story about this today. He said that he saw a cell phone video someone was taking of paramedics trying to revive the trampled man. The people taking the video could be heard laughing and joking about the incident.

There is no place in our world for ignorance such as this. What has our society come to if we can't conduct ourselves like civilized human beings.

Lives were lost in this incident, and over what? Saving a few bucks so someone's spoiled kid can have yet another gadget they probably don't need in the first place. It's pathetic and disgusting.

Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace, sharing and being close to one's family and friends. I'm frankly appalled that we've gone down such a path, to a lifestyle of consumerism and excess and consumption.

I think we should all take a step back this holiday season. Away from the busy stores and the overspending and the gluttony. Maybe it's time to think about relaxing a little more this Christmas. Maybe, instead of spending $800 on a new laptop for your kid, consider donating some of that money to a local homeless shelter. Maybe spend a little more time making some gifts for people. Maybe just spend a bit more time with the people you love, and count your blessings that you don't have to face the kind of tragedy that these poor families now have to face.

Susan Murphy
Susan Murphy

My brother told me an even more tragic story about this today. He said that he saw a cell phone video someone was taking of paramedics trying to revive the trampled man. The people taking the video could be heard laughing and joking about the incident.

There is no place in our world for ignorance such as this. What has our society come to if we can't conduct ourselves like civilized human beings.

Lives were lost in this incident, and over what? Saving a few bucks so someone's spoiled kid can have yet another gadget they probably don't need in the first place. It's pathetic and disgusting.

Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace, sharing and being close to one's family and friends. I'm frankly appalled that we've gone down such a path, to a lifestyle of consumerism and excess and consumption.

I think we should all take a step back this holiday season. Away from the busy stores and the overspending and the gluttony. Maybe it's time to think about relaxing a little more this Christmas. Maybe, instead of spending $800 on a new laptop for your kid, consider donating some of that money to a local homeless shelter. Maybe spend a little more time making some gifts for people. Maybe just spend a bit more time with the people you love, and count your blessings that you don't have to face the kind of tragedy that these poor families now have to face.

Susan Murphy
Susan Murphy

My brother told me an even more tragic story about this today. He said that he saw a cell phone video someone was taking of paramedics trying to revive the trampled man. The people taking the video could be heard laughing and joking about the incident. There is no place in our world for ignorance such as this. What has our society come to if we can't conduct ourselves like civilized human beings. Lives were lost in this incident, and over what? Saving a few bucks so someone's spoiled kid can have yet another gadget they probably don't need in the first place. It's pathetic and disgusting. Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace, sharing and being close to one's family and friends. I'm frankly appalled that we've gone down such a path, to a lifestyle of consumerism and excess and consumption. I think we should all take a step back this holiday season. Away from the busy stores and the overspending and the gluttony. Maybe it's time to think about relaxing a little more this Christmas. Maybe, instead of spending $800 on a new laptop for your kid, consider donating some of that money to a local homeless shelter. Maybe spend a little more time making some gifts for people. Maybe just spend a bit more time with the people you love, and count your blessings that you don't have to face the kind of tragedy that these poor families now have to face.

Danny
Danny

Hi Michael,

Perhaps it will take some serious legal action against retailers to stop this kind of craziness from happening. They and manufacturers have been found guilty of price-fixing before, but a few thousand dollars fine is just a slap on the wrist to them. Perhaps jail sentences are needed to show that these types of tragic events can and should be avoided.

While I see your point about the pregnant lady, sadly this seems to suggest that people become too desperate - which in itself would suggest that we need to look at where such desperation comes from. I'm sure the last thing she wanted to do was be among a crowd of crazy people on a cold day, but was she there because it was the only way to afford items she wanted?

If so, if people are so willing to put themselves "on the line" at these types of sales events, then we really need to look at how retailers are operating and how they can change.

Thanks for your views, always appreciated.

Danny
Danny

Hi Michael, Perhaps it will take some serious legal action against retailers to stop this kind of craziness from happening. They and manufacturers have been found guilty of price-fixing before, but a few thousand dollars fine is just a slap on the wrist to them. Perhaps jail sentences are needed to show that these types of tragic events can and should be avoided. While I see your point about the pregnant lady, sadly this seems to suggest that people become too desperate - which in itself would suggest that we need to look at where such desperation comes from. I'm sure the last thing she wanted to do was be among a crowd of crazy people on a cold day, but was she there because it was the only way to afford items she wanted? If so, if people are so willing to put themselves "on the line" at these types of sales events, then we really need to look at how retailers are operating and how they can change. Thanks for your views, always appreciated.

Danny
Danny

Hi Michael,

Perhaps it will take some serious legal action against retailers to stop this kind of craziness from happening. They and manufacturers have been found guilty of price-fixing before, but a few thousand dollars fine is just a slap on the wrist to them. Perhaps jail sentences are needed to show that these types of tragic events can and should be avoided.

While I see your point about the pregnant lady, sadly this seems to suggest that people become too desperate - which in itself would suggest that we need to look at where such desperation comes from. I'm sure the last thing she wanted to do was be among a crowd of crazy people on a cold day, but was she there because it was the only way to afford items she wanted?

If so, if people are so willing to put themselves "on the line" at these types of sales events, then we really need to look at how retailers are operating and how they can change.

Thanks for your views, always appreciated.

Michael "Shogun" Hatamoto
Michael "Shogun" Hatamoto

I agree that the death of the doorman and miscarriage of the woman are both tragic, completely avoidable events.

I'm sure Wal-Mart will see legal action from the incident, as there reportedly wasn't enough security to keep the people under control.

As for the woman... I hate to say it, but common sense and self-preservation have to kick in at some point. I don't like going into crowded stores because they make me cramped, so I don't understand why someone who reportedly was eight months pregnant would wait outside in a long line when it's cold out, and put herself at risk before she even went into the store.

Aren't the holidays already stressful enough? This kind of chaos is absolutely ridiculous, and even though no one will likely be held accountable, it just shows how anyone and everyone (apparently) can go from a normal person into a crazed maniac.

Michael "Shogun" Hatamoto
Michael "Shogun" Hatamoto

I agree that the death of the doorman and miscarriage of the woman are both tragic, completely avoidable events.

I'm sure Wal-Mart will see legal action from the incident, as there reportedly wasn't enough security to keep the people under control.

As for the woman... I hate to say it, but common sense and self-preservation have to kick in at some point. I don't like going into crowded stores because they make me cramped, so I don't understand why someone who reportedly was eight months pregnant would wait outside in a long line when it's cold out, and put herself at risk before she even went into the store.

Aren't the holidays already stressful enough? This kind of chaos is absolutely ridiculous, and even though no one will likely be held accountable, it just shows how anyone and everyone (apparently) can go from a normal person into a crazed maniac.

Michael "Shogun" Hatamoto
Michael "Shogun" Hatamoto

I agree that the death of the doorman and miscarriage of the woman are both tragic, completely avoidable events. I'm sure Wal-Mart will see legal action from the incident, as there reportedly wasn't enough security to keep the people under control. As for the woman... I hate to say it, but common sense and self-preservation have to kick in at some point. I don't like going into crowded stores because they make me cramped, so I don't understand why someone who reportedly was eight months pregnant would wait outside in a long line when it's cold out, and put herself at risk before she even went into the store. Aren't the holidays already stressful enough? This kind of chaos is absolutely ridiculous, and even though no one will likely be held accountable, it just shows how anyone and everyone (apparently) can go from a normal person into a crazed maniac.

Danny Brown
Danny Brown

When does social responsibility and common sense lose way to retailer greed and shopper desperation?
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Danny Brown
Danny Brown

The recent Black Friday tragedies show that people are now putting deals over lives. Should retailers now be forced to stop these one day sales?
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Danny Brown
Danny Brown

Are any discounts and profits worth a human life?
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  1. [...] Why The Black Friday Madness Has To Stop Many people have said that Barack Obama is “the social media President”. Not only did he use the medium to great effect during his campaign, he also offers a parallel to social media through his “Vote for Change” policies. … [...]


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