Do You Do Black Friday?

By drodriguez Nov 28, 2009

For those of you that were brave enough to wade through the crowds of Black Friday shoppers this year, you may have noticed that not everyone stuck it out all day long. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday evening that Black Friday started out strong, but slowly thinned out by afternoon. This is because shoppers were not willing to stick around unless they were seeing some major discounts.

A lot of the savings we were seeing this year came in the form of doorbusters and a good deal of sales on electronics. Unless you were lined up outside the door just as stores opened in the early morning, you may not have seen too many savings. The Wall Street Journal reports that Andrew Harris, a Dallas police officer, planned his Black Friday out perfectly when he showed up for a sale at Target at 3am, 2 hours before the store even opened, and bought a 32" LCD HDTV for $246 (a savings of $180).

Wal-Mart also saw lots of traffic, with some customers showing up the evening before to camp out in front of the store. Stores like Wal -Mart recognize the need to get shoppers in by enticing them with deep discounts since many consumers have expressed a need to spend less this year than last.

Aix Partners LLP released a study earlier this year with some data about the upcoming holiday season. They found that 88 percent of consumers planned to spend less this year than last year and 82 percent said that what they do spend money on will be purchased from value stores like Wal -Mart. Though the numbers sound bleak for retailers, the National Retail Federation is only predicting a 1 percent drop in U.S. holiday sales, which is up from last years 3.4 percent decline.

Did you venture out to the stores this Black Friday?

Do you plan on spending less on gifts this holiday season than you did last year?

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Comments

by missingme | Spartanburg, SC

Dec 07, 2009

Did once a while ago but I will never do it again, BF seems to bring out the worst in people.

by lah0707 | BERLIN, NJ

Dec 06, 2009

I did black friday shopping for the first time this year. I was camped outside of Target at 1:45am Friday morning when the store opened at 5am. I was about the 30th person in line and the first person in line had apparently gotten there about 8pm Thursday night. I had intended to go earlier but I am glad I didn't because the person who was five infront of me had gotten there the time I had originally planned, to me it wouldn't have been worth it. I don't know if I would do it again next year, while I did save $115 off the price of the item and I am naturally a night owl. It was really cold and it was raining the last hour of the wait.

by wheeler1 | Zellwood, FL

Dec 06, 2009

Of course I do Black Friday! I wouldn't miss it! This year, even though we were in line before the doors opened, we missed out on a great laptop deal. We still had a productive shopping session. We had to cut it short this year due to incoming relatives for the week.

by bozemanbrooks | Bozeman, MT

Dec 05, 2009

For the first time EVER I participated in Black Firday. I only went to Wal-mart. This year they did not close their doors, so I arrived there at about 4:15 and there were a few people but it wasn't bad. I was able to get everything I wanted, mostly toys for my two year old daughter. By 4:45 the store was a zoo! I got in line at about 5am there was only 2 people a head of me. I could not imigine what the lines would look like about a half hour later. I did plan to spend less this year and I am on everybody except for my daughter...she is so easy to shop for!

by kristina20022002 | SUPERIOR, WI

Dec 05, 2009

I had to work that black friday anyway so during my break and lunch I went out and got a couple of things. I liked the pajamas Walmart had for $3 that was a steal!!! :)

by jmsargent | Honey Brook, PA

Dec 05, 2009

I shopped on Black Friday a long time ago. I would much rather stay at home and decorate the house for Christmas! I usually am finished my Christmas shopping before that any way! People get too crazy for me!

by venus2055 | Depew, NY

Dec 05, 2009

I Black Friday every year, and this year was the absolute worst. It really is amazing to see the real side of people. This is the holidays and people are ramming you with their carts and cursing at you. We went to Walmart 1st this year and while they had good intentions to try to prevent a stampede by opening the doors early, it was still absolute chaos. They had items in the aisle shrink wrapped that weren't going to be avail until 5 am...people were ripping open the packages like animals.... I will probably do black friday again next year, but I will prob wait until the vultures are cleared out

by lswhite | Richmond, VA

Dec 04, 2009

I did Black Friday this year...at Wal-Mart! I am not a newbie to Black Friday, but was to the Wal-Mart Black Friday experience, complete with crowd control! I only went for the $2 DVDs so we could send as many movies as possible to the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. The price was great, but will not do it again.

by gabbyuhlig | Atco, NJ

Dec 04, 2009

i did black friday for the first time this year. my boyfriend wanted this 42" plasma TV. we got there at 930 thursday night and slept inside the walmart til 5 am. i am never doing it again! i'm a very calm and nice person.. there was a woman there who had less stuff then i did and was very old as well, i let her in front of me and the woman behind me started flipping out and called the manger on me! i was so angry. good thing the manger sided w. me and understood why i did what i did.

by Lusadi | Wasilla, AK

Dec 04, 2009

I avoid black Friday every year. I am happy to leave those deals for other people. Instead, I prefer to just watch sales the entire year and purchase items for people as I find them. I have a present shelf in the closet. This has the additional benefit of allowing me to keep emergency gifts on hand for unexpected guests or a forgotten birthday.

by Larak12 | Riverside, CA

Dec 04, 2009

I was waiting in line at bestbuy we were the 16 person in line. We got a 2 sony vios, 1 desktop, camcoder, a nano, a scanner printer, speakers and movies I live in Nebraska it was cold I had so much fun and it wasn't all Jamed up by the way it was my 1st black friday ever!!

by MadHatter | Whitestone , NY

Dec 04, 2009

i choose to never attend black friday's mainly because each and every black friday has been cold and drizzling or even heavy rain at times. I have no patience in waiting in long lines just to get one item that is on sale and jeapordize my health.

by sarah2 | Apache Junction, AZ

Dec 04, 2009

I don´t like Black Friday! There´s nothing worse than standing in line for hours--time is money, I´m not sure the sales make up for the lost time...

by kmccarron19 | BRISTOW, VA

Dec 03, 2009

I go every year! I don't mind the crowds and I always do great. I love all the sales. I mostly go to Kohls to start. I love it and wouldn't miss it.

by jack00jb | Steamboat Springs, CO

Dec 03, 2009

Never!! I absolutely dread the crowds on Black Friday - regardless of the sales. Most places are extending the sales this year anyway.