Black Friday occurred yesterday, and it truly was a black day for us all. It has become the day when throngs of American shoppers gather en masse at Corporate America’s big box stores in an attempt to wrestle bargains from their friends and neighbors into their own overloaded carts.
There are a number of things wrong with what has become symbolic of the American shopping experience. Thousands of people, standing around in parking lots in the pre-dawn hours jockeying for position to be the first through the door, so that they can be one of the few to grab their ‘bargain’ and hoist it high in victory. In light of what is going on around the world with the economy, various wars and terrorism, is there really anything that any of us need so desperately that can be found at a Wal-Mart, Best Buy, or Macy’s?
With so many people out of work, homeless and unable to afford healthcare, food or heat as winter approaches, the majority has once again shown what it important to them. Stuff. We can hardly point the finger at Corporate America for their spending and excesses when our own actions have once again uttered in no uncertain terms “What’s in it for me?!” Many shoppers have traveled to other cities to claim their bargains, leaving behind the retailers in their own communities, many of whom are scrambling to stay afloat in light of the economy.
However, the worst instance of corporate and public greed was personified yesterday as a temporary worker at a Wal-Mart on Long Island was trampled to death as he attempted to help open the doors for bargain hunters. It is said that hundreds of people ran, stomped and climbed over his body before people could even get to his body to offer aid. Shame on us all.
Don’t get me wrong, as a retailer myself, I am all for profit, but unlike most, not at any cost. Our shop utilizes many cast-off items to keep things out of the landfills, and we are running a sale from September 1st through December 31st to give everyone a chance to take advantage of our in-store discount. But most importantly, we are giving a percentage of our profits from this sale back to our local schools, who are facing difficult budget cuts during these troubled economic times.
As a former economic development and marketing professional, I think there is a solution to Black Friday that will help stores build brand, customer loyalty and increase sales year round. Stores could still offer these seasonal discounts, but with a twist. They simply encourage people to save their receipts throughout the year, and by a given date, have them return each of them with their contact information for a drawing. The more receipts people turn in, the better their chance of being selected. Stores decide the number of people they will choose to receive a pre-determined winning discount amount for their one-time holiday purchase, or from selected merchandise. These lucky shoppers will then have from the drawing time until Christmas to make their discounted purchases. No pulsing throngs of shoppers slugging it out in the toy department, no hair pulling at the jewelry counter, and no fighting over discounted video game consoles. Just a steady stream of well-behaved shoppers year round.
If stores decide to take my suggestion, who knows, you may be the lucky recipient of a discounted pre-Christmas shopping experience next year. However, if Black Friday continues as it has, you might not be so lucky.
While everyone likes gifts, material possessions are certainly not the reason for this holiday season, and I hope that during the coming months we can regain control of the greed that has spiraled unchecked for too long. Here’s to 2009, which I hope will unite us in the common goals we need to get back on track economically and as a shining civic society.
