I’m the type to hunker down in my pj’s the day after Thanksgiving and stay put with my cat, a hot cup of peppermint tea, a good book, and a few movies. I figure I don’t need anything badly enough to wake up from my food coma at 1 a.m. when it’s 23 degrees out, spend 57 minutes sharking for a parking space, be trampled to death in a midnight Wally World stampede, or stand in a 2-hour line for $19.99 jeans that I had to punch a soccer mom in the face for to secure the last pair of size 6 in the weekend blues rise.
Not. Worth. It.
Like I said, I usually stay put. But last year was our first Thanksgiving as a married couple, my first Thanksgiving hosting at our new home, and my parents were in town. We figured, why the heck not go see what all the hullabaloo is about, right? I mean, it must be good if people are willing to risk life and limb for it. So we waited until early afternoon on the day after Thanksgiving to venture out – you know, after all the loons were back at home soundly sleeping with their plethora of shadily procured treasures. We decided to try for Target, thinking that’s where we’d be likely to see some action. There was nothing. The parking lot was only 1/4 full, there was no line at all for the check-outs, and the only awesome deals were a couple bucks off some Wii accessories and a $7 puffy winter vest. Not too shabby, but nothing to write home about.
So this year we thought we’d try our luck again. We had a small list of things we were in the market for – a new quilt for our bed, some jeans for me, a belt for Ted, and the Wii Party game. A small yet diverse list, all things we’d like to have but nothing we needed right away. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at The Original Pancake House around 10 a.m. and then drove over to Kenwood Mall which is, arguably, Cincinnati’s most posh and crowded mall. Good luck finding a parking space there on a normal day much less Black Friday. The parking lot was packed but we lucked out and in less than two minutes we had a fantastic parking space right up front – Jackpot! We dropped in about 8 or so different stores, took one look at the raging lines and walked right back out. Only two stores had sales that even remotely impressed me (60% off at Gap and 50% off at Ann Taylor Loft until noon – but both of those sales were online as well). So we left the mall empty handed and went to Target and Wal-Mart where the sales were even more non-existent. We left with the highly exciting Black Friday purchases of cough syrup, paper towels, and a $5 “Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas” DVD.
Party. Animals.
Now, here’s what I don’t get: If I’m going to stand in a check-out line of 78 people, or wake up at 1 a.m. to go shopping, or risk my life and sanity to beat other wackos to a parking space or a sale on towels, the sale better be damn good. I’m talking upwards upwards of 50% off. More like between 60-80% off. Now that might be worth it. But even then, most of these stores are offering similar deals online with free shipping too.
But none of the sales I saw today or last year were all that impressive. 10% off here, 15% off there, spend $150 and get a $20 gift card. Please. That’s your average run-of-the-mill sale. How is that worth all the uproar?
So I ask, what’s up with all the Black Friday Hullabaloo? Am I missing something? Can someone clue me in? Did you score any major Black Friday wins?
