Comments on: A Brief History of Black Friday

By: Brit

Brit — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:49:25 +0000

I worked retail for longer than I cared to remember. I hated Black Friday and did think of the term a little more closely to the original term you described above. Some years I worked two jobs both in the mall and some days would work both in one day. I usually had about a 15 to 20 minute break in between in which I would go out to my car to have a cigarette (I have since quit). I usually had a pretty good parking space, so people would follow me and wait and then would yell when I wasn’t actually leaving.
I have a friend who is a Jehova’s Whitness (and doesn’t celebrate holidays) but will still go shopping on Black Friday becuase she is a little nuts and to capitalize on the good deals. Me personally, I had my fill when I worked- I stay away.

By: liz

liz — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:11:50 +0000

I worked for a (now closed) US retailer a few years ago and they could not grasp the idea that there isn’t really a Black Friday culture in Canada. They would panic about staffing levels leading up to it and drop a huge ad that was always a bust. Never clued into the importance of Boxing Day here either.

By: Kari

Kari — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:09:39 +0000

Black Friday and Cyber Monday we are all looking for ways to save money although my mom never goes shopping the day after Thanksgiving she’s alway goes a week or two before Christmas.

By: Pearl

Pearl — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:41:04 +0000

I did a few years working for Blockbuster, and Christmas day is typically their busiest day of the year. Everywhere else is closed, and people want dvds to put into their new dvd players.

By: Doc Moonlight

Doc Moonlight — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:58:47 +0000

The term “Cyber Monday” was in place well before 2005. I remember hearing it in the mid-90′s. The reasoning was that, at time (pre-DSL and home-based broadband) your computer at work was much faster than your home PC, so people who wanted to shop online waited until they went back to work on Monday so they could use the more powerful and faster systems.

By: Tracie

Tracie — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:08:59 +0000

I remember someone was actually trampled to death outside a WalMart last Black Friday. Pretty sick.

By: Leah

Leah — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:38:06 +0000

I’ll be at Sears at 2 or 3 am. Yes, it’s completely insane. Yes, it will be freaking cold. But you know what? We’re moving into our first home in January, and we need appliances. Why would we NOT shop when the Refrigerator we want is $900 off and the Washer & Dryer set we want is $1300 off???

By: Sillstaw

Sillstaw — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:21:34 +0000

I recall someone describing working as a cashier on Black Friday as being like the scene in “Casino Royale” where Bond is tortured with a rope. If you’ve seen it, you know what I mean. If you haven’t…

By: andy

andy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:57:15 +0000

i worked at best buy in cali for one black friday and had to be into work at midnight on Black Friday and there was already a line of people all the way around the building. Luckily i worked in the merch department so i didnt really have to deal with all the crazy people.

By: Sara in AL

Sara in AL — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:15:26 +0000

Saturday before Christmas is specifically(sp?) the worst, although my family’s females9minus Mom, me, and Jenni this year) alwys go shopping the Friday after Thanksgiving. Mom has a job, Jenni has a job, and I can only write checks.