My Store vs. Other Stores

[Imprl59]

The problem is, as displayed here, is that we have people who want the sales now now now! (anyone else hear Veruca Salt?) Again, it ain't gonna happen.

As for problems, what problems? I'm just saying it like it is. If you don't like my opinion, ignore me.

You are a million percent correct. Stores tend to loose money on "the good stuff" on Black Friday in hopes that you will buy enough other stuff to make up for it. Basically as a consumer I can only be waiting in line at one store and they want that store to be theirs. It would make no sense to sell you the camera today, most likely at a loss, so you would then have no incentive to come to their store on feeding frenzy morning and run up the credit card bill.

Steve B.

[Nyoibo]

Can someone explain to me what the hell Black Friday is?

I've heard it several times and don't know what it is.

[iradney]

Black Friday is so named for the HUGE sales that stores have on the 28th of November. The stores call it Black Friday because they have a good chance of their books running into black ink (positive income) as opposed to red (negative income).

Retail employees call it Black Friday because it is the apocalypse.

[malmalthekiller]

Ever seen an ad on TV or something, a movie coming out soon, something like that, it's to make you aware of the fact that it's going to be there soon. By doing that they let people know about it beforehand, rather than only letting people know of it on the day and then only customers in the store on that day know about it.

Exactly. It's just advertising for a sale.

No offense, but I get asked this 30 times a day since Black Friday is coming up, and it just irritates me. Because everytime I say no, I have to get a manager to come up and tell a customer themselves.

[Hobbs]

This reminds me of a similar encounter during Tax-Free Weekend.

sc: when's tax-free weekend?
me: that's next weekend, ma'am.
sc: so, if i bring in these things next week with my reciept, can you exchange them for me and give me my taxes back?
me: O_o (looking at veeeery long line behind her, imagining the impossible lines next weekend) um...no...?
sc: why not?
me: because...you bought them today, not next weekend...

ok, technically i could, but i'm not gonna waste my time giving her $5 back because she's madam-cheapo. to be fair, she was okay with my answer and didn't challenge it, but

[Nakajo]

Seriously, OP, WTF?

My store's reason for not honoring the Black Friday discounts is because the discounts are given by our vendors, not by my company. If the product in question is bought with said coupon outside of the honor dates, WE DO NOT GET CREDIT for the coupon's savings.

Meaning, the guy I told today NO, you cannot have $300 off your TV today, means I saved my store $300, or 27.3 hours of labor. Honoring that coupon early means taking away the pay of a part-time employee for a whole week.

These are hard times. People are getting fired because companies are not making the money they need to pay people. Most people in my location are volunteering to give up an hour or two of work here and there to help save money so we won't have to lay people off after the holiday. We're being strict on the coupons. It's what has to be done.

ALSO, what about all those people that waited fairly to get the product and coupon on that day? What if we let everyone do that, opened the store Black Friday, and OH NOES we're sold out even before the date? It's not fair to them.

And honestly, I'd rather deal with one dissatisfied customer, days before the chaos, than 30 pissed customers during it.

[Mordecai]

I see no suck on the store whatsoever. Like several others that have already posted pointed out, there would be no incentive for people to come on the day of the sale if they honored it beforehand.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I pity any of those on the board who work that day.

10:30 pm Thursday night to 7 am Friday morning. And then I roll back in at 10:30 Friday night to clean up.

[Nyx]

I had something similar on Saturday; on Sunday we had a four hour sale, and we were handing out coupons at the registers (15% off total). I had two customers with a large order ask if I would except the coupon early, I cannot, if I do that I will be reprimanded. So they ask if they can come back and get it on a previous purchase; I've seen it done before by management, but a lot has changed since then. So I asked, answer was no. Of course after that the customers had to act as if I was holding a gun to their heads asking them to buy stuff, and that I was just such a horrible person. I feel I did what I could to make them happy, but it wasn't enough. Some store's are just more flexible than others, just because it would pass at your store, doesn't mean it will at all stores.

[iradney]

I'm reckoning that the flyers were out so that the customers could plan their spending. I know that for myself, if I see that *store* is having a sale on *Other day*, I don't go into their shop demanding the discounts NOW. Remember, the flyers had a DATE on them. Which means they are only valid ON that date.
Imagine you've bought plane tickets to fly on the 28th of November. If you go on the 23rd to the airport, they won't let you on the plane. Why? Because the ticket you bought is ONLY good on the 28th of November!

[ReverendBSB]

Yeah, and why do they have commercials for The Dark Knight DVD on tv. It does not come out until December 9th. They should not advertise for it until it comes out.

They are letting people know about upcoming sales. Simple as that. Notice the date too, Black Friday. They are advertising sales for the biggest shopping day of the year.

[walking with scissors]

Can someone explain to me what the hell Black Friday is?

I've heard it several times and don't know what it is.

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. It's the day when sensible people stay the hell home instead of getting out of bed to stand in line in the cold and dark at 3:30am in order to fight a thousand other idiots for cheap electronics. Knowing there will be a thousand customers, the store will thoughtfully stock 5 of the most popular products, which in past years has produced many fistfights and occasional gunplay. Good times! My geek son joyfully participates in Black Friday festivities. I'd rather eat my own feet.

Blessings be with any of you who have to work retail on Black Friday.

[DevilBoy]

several stores who have put out their sales ads early so that shoppers can plan their purchases accordingly.

I'm reckoning that the flyers were out so that the customers could plan their spending.

This is exactly why a store would do something like this.
Some people plan out their Black Friday shopping trip with the same precision and attention to detail that a General would use for planning a covert invasion maneuver.

They plan what stores to be at, when to be at those stores, what to get at each store and how much they plan on spending in each store.
They do their best to get in, get the goods and then get out.

The problem is, as displayed here, is that we have people who want the sales now now now! (anyone else hear Veruca Salt?)

Which is no different than any other time of the year. Stores cannot advertise a sale ahead of time or whiny SC's bitch about not being able to get the sale price TODAY.
If the store holds off on the advertising too long, then they miss out on prospective customers... or worse, you get the whiner SC's saying, "Why didn't you advertise earlier that this was going to be on sale today?"

[KaeZoo]

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. It's the day when sensible people stay the hell home instead of getting out of bed to stand in line in the cold and dark at 3:30am in order to fight a thousand other idiots for cheap electronics.

Drive past any big box electronics store on Thanksgiving day. You will see a line waiting by the door. It will probably extend around the side of the building at that point. The first people in line pitched their tents on Wednesday.

Remember when Thanksgiving traditions centered around turkey? Now for some people, it's a camping trip on concrete.

I've got a sweet gig on Black Friday. I get to come in at noon, lock myself in the Install Bay, and just work on cars all day. My crowd-fighting will be limited to keeping them from blocking the bay doors.

[Hobbs]

Blessings be with any of you who have to work retail on Black Friday.

O God, the creator of all things, you framed the law of labor for the human race. Graciously grant, by the example and patronage of St. Joseph, that we may do the work you provide us and earn the reward you promise. Sustain us with your grace to live up to our duties in charity and justice. Amen.

-From me to everyone who works Friday.

PS: If you're not Christian, my apologies. This is meant to support you, not offend you.