Black Friday

[Harrowby Hall]

Some excellent news:

     ASDA are not going to do "Black Friday".

A retail analyst on the PM programme (BBC Radio 4) suggested that other retailers would be grateful for the opportunity not to engage in this American enterprise.

Let us hope that all retailers accept that their wholesale adoption of this alien activity was a gross error and that they stop aping the worst excesses of American retail practice.

What is interesting here, is that ASDA is owned by the largest American retailer, WalMart.

[jeremyp]

I don't understand what the problem is with retailers offering discounts for one day at the beginning of the Christmas rush.

[BashfulAnthony]

I don't understand what the problem is with retailers offering discounts for one day at the beginning of the Christmas rush.

I think the original American idea was to encourage people to buy early in the pre-Christmas shop.   Just another idea to part people from their money, and it works.

[Rhiannon]

What it can do is knacker sales figures for the Christmas period. It affects retailer profitability but if one is in, most will be in as they try to compete.

[Harrowby Hall]

I don't understand what the problem is with retailers offering discounts for one day at the beginning of the Christmas rush.

I think the original American idea was to encourage people to buy early in the pre-Christmas shop.   Just another idea to part people from their money, and it works.

Yes. It is called "Black Friday" because it is the day their accounts changed from red to black. In other words, it generated cash flow.

[Rhiannon]

There's more here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34774289

[jeremyp]

I don't understand what the problem is with retailers offering discounts for one day at the beginning of the Christmas rush.

I think the original American idea was to encourage people to buy early in the pre-Christmas shop.   Just another idea to part people from their money, and it works.

Let's be honest, that's what Chriistmas is. I honestly don't see what the fuss is about.

[BashfulAnthony]

I don't understand what the problem is with retailers offering discounts for one day at the beginning of the Christmas rush.

I think the original American idea was to encourage people to buy early in the pre-Christmas shop.   Just another idea to part people from their money, and it works.

Let's be honest, that's what Chriistmas is. I honestly don't see what the fuss is about.

They are simply trying to invite two bites of the cherry:  shopping now, and again nearer to Christmas.  Obviously there are many prepared to do just that.

[ad_orientem]

Horrible Yank thing. Stop it!

[Hope]

I don't understand what the problem is with retailers offering discounts for one day at the beginning of the Christmas rush.

The reason given by Asda was to do with some unacceptable violence at two or three of their stores last year.  We already see some of this at post-Christmas sales but last year's Asda problems were apparently far more unpleasant.

[floo]

A Black Friday free for all would be my idea of absolute hell.

[ProfessorDavey]

I don't understand what the problem is with retailers offering discounts for one day at the beginning of the Christmas rush.

I think the original American idea was to encourage people to buy early in the pre-Christmas shop.   Just another idea to part people from their money, and it works.

Let's be honest, that's what Chriistmas is. I honestly don't see what the fuss is about.

They are simply trying to invite two bites of the cherry:  shopping now, and again nearer to Christmas.  Obviously there are many prepared to do just that.

actually three bites at the cherry, as shops have always had sales after Christmas too.

In reality we are in the world of year round promotions and this is mostly marketing. Sure I expect there are some bargains, but there always are any day of the week if you look - and it is now pretty easy for any of us to check best prices on-line. I've not partaken in Black Friday but if it is anything like most night promoted sales, everything on special offer is junk and anything you actually want to buy remains full price. That's certainly been my experience of the January sales for year.

[OH MY WORLD!]

Boo hoo, the Americans thought up yet something else that has caught on all over your little island. Now grow up and put adult underwear on today. You don't like black fri. then keep you butt at home and don't shop on that day. So simple a monkey sitting on a rock gets it.