Tis the Season. It used to begin the day after Thanksgiving. You put up your tree, holiday decorations miraculously appear in the department stores, and the 5th Avenue windows are resplendent in all their Christmas glitter and glory. All before you can even digest your turkey and unbutton your pants.
But what truly mark the beginning of the holiday season are the mega sales on Black Friday.
The term originally was coined because the retailers make up for lost revenue with the onset of Christmas shopping by discounting prices for the early bird shoppers and are “back in black". What is a shopaholic to do? Luckily, I shop all year long. Black Friday is really not a trigger for me as it is not worth my time and effort. My favorite time to shop is a weekday, when I have an entire store and their staff all to myself.
Plus reading stories about people, who bring pepper spray to Wal-Mart to keep away the crowds from their coveted items, really scares me. (click here for story). Not that I shop at Wal-Mart, but it makes me wonder if shoppers at Bloomies carry Tasers to guard against the last Chloe Bag in this year’s color? I recently learned, however, Black Friday no longer begins on Friday. It begins on the day before Thanksgiving. At least on-line. “Fuchsia Thursday” my email read. "Beat the rush... 20% off, but only till midnight." The Wednesday edition of the NY Post had an insert on how to navigate black Friday, by on-line sites, early opening specials, discount codes and neighborhood!
Seriously when did you have to take a course on how to shop?Maybe I don’t want to be trampled to death in a sale … but to shop and get an early discount from the comfort of my own home on Thanksgiving, while my pants are unbuttoned? The temptation was greater than that pumpkin pie! I mean there is nothing worse in my opinion than fighting with others of over the last large size pair of skinny jeans. (Yes, I ate too much pumpkin pie, this year, so sue me).
The family was saying grace and I was shopping! With my smart phone under the table during the meal, I filled my shopping bag with coveted items; Anthropologie had 40% off, on the very items on my fall wish list in my last post! Trina Turk – had 20% off the dress I loved, finally in my size! And Milly, don’t even go there…
When I got to my desktop and went to submit my order Black Friday Eve (formerly known as Thanksgiving Night), my bag was empty. Everything was out of stock! I lost out on the sales. Except for one. Bloomingdales offered 25-40% off select items and had some good deals. Not great but good. Not good enough I say…until I saw an early bird email with a special code that allowed an extra 25% of the sale prices IF YOU SHOP BEFORE 4 AM. Online!!!
I’m a night owl; I would rather stay up all night than get up at dawn, even to shop! No sleep tonight!
There I was, at the stroke of midnight, on Black Friday, seduced by sales and a tall dark smooth Italian pair of boots for 50% off. No lines, no broken ribs, no pepper spray. Just one click and Salvatore Ferragamo was on his way to my house! I literally saved hundreds of dollars. My husband however would argue that when you spend ANY money you are not saving anything because you spent it. Ah, the philosophy of shopping.
Friday is when the big box stores cash in. I however got to sleep in! Having spent all my cash on Friday, I had none left for Small Business Saturday, where consumers are encouraged to support local small stores, (which is where I did all of my Christmas shopping last year). Now I am obsessing if even better deals are to be had on Cyber Monday…which is tomorrow.
You know I‘ll be checking my emails to see how much I can really save -or is it spend? Happy Holiday Shopping to all!
