The Psychology of Black Friday

ValuJet

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Sep 28, 2000
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I've found a couple of articles that confirmed my evolving thoughts on Black Friday. I've never given it much thought until this year when I actually bought an HP printer at 50% off, got the "Black Friday" deal online and had it delivered to my doorstep last Wednesday.

In the past I've always been amused at the stories emerging on Friday midday of tramplings, pepper spray, fistfights, and so forth. This year someone grabbed a vegetable steamer from a child who was holding it for her mom.

So why do people still line up at the stores at 3 a.m. for a 5 a.m. opening?

Tradition? Truly out to grab some bargains? Excitement of being in the crowds?

My opinion is that the early arrivals to the stores are generally very aggressive people, self-centered and anal retentive. Not all, of course, but there's something going on upstairs in these folks that's hard to understand. I also think it's the tribal "killer instinct" in people who see "Minimum 3 Per Store" in Black Friday ads and feel they have to get one of those three. When they do succeed, it's a psychological victory of "I got this and you didn't." IMO, these are the same people in traffic, who, when they see you with your blinker on, will speed up to keep you from cutting in front of them.

While they shop, I'll continue year in and year out to marvel at the news of the beatings and muggings over the two dollar toasters. :)
 

tidegrandpa

All-American
I've found a couple of articles that confirmed my evolving thoughts on Black Friday. I've never given it much thought until this year when I actually bought an HP printer at 50% off, got the "Black Friday" deal online and had it delivered to my doorstep last Wednesday.

In the past I've always been amused at the stories emerging on Friday midday of tramplings, pepper spray, fistfights, and so forth. This year someone grabbed a vegetable steamer from a child who was holding it for her mom.

So why do people still line up at the stores at 3 a.m. for a 5 a.m. opening?

Tradition? Truly out to grab some bargains? Excitement of being in the crowds?

My opinion is that the early arrivals to the stores are generally very aggressive people, self-centered and anal retentive. Not all, of course, but there's something going on upstairs in these folks that's hard to understand. I also think it's the tribal "killer instinct" in people who see "Minimum 3 Per Store" in Black Friday ads and feel they have to get one of those three. When they do succeed, it's a psychological victory of "I got this and you didn't." IMO, these are the same people in traffic, who, when they see you with your blinker on, will speed up to keep you from cutting in front of them.

While they shop, I'll continue year in and year out to marvel at the news of the beatings and muggings over the two dollar toasters. :)
Traveled to Austin Thursday, arrived about 3:00 pm, while driving through town wife observed line around a Target scheduled to open at 6:00 pm.

Standing in line at 2-4 hours on Thanksgiving plus God knows how long it takes to checkout, not this guy.
 

Bamaro

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Oct 19, 2001
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There probably are a few good deals (mixed in with many normal sale prices or old clearance inventory) on Black Friday but why people would camp out and fight each other to save a few bucks is beyond me.

 
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Tide1986

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Nov 22, 2008
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IMO, these are the same people in traffic, who, when they see you with your blinker on, will speed up to keep you from cutting in front of them.
I'm not a Black Friday shopper, but I am someone who tends not to let people over when they haven't planned well enough in advance (e.g. the moron who gets in the inside turn lane turning left onto Hwy 280 but needs to move over across two lanes of traffic in order to turn right off of Hwy 280 about 50 yards down the road). I am merciless when it comes to moronic drivers.
 

TideMom2Boys

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Nov 17, 2010
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I stayed up and ordered everything that I wanted at Black Friday prices...they all went on sale online around 12-3am on Thursday. So I didn't have to go out and brave the crowds. I ordered everything and went to bed.

I actually ended up shopping on Black Friday...but it was after 10am and there were no crowds at all. (Shopped in Alabaster) I picked up some more stuff for the kids and clothes for me. :)
 

selmaborntidefan

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The current minimum wage is $7.25 an hour - that's what you'd basically make working at any menial task job (like President, for example). So if you wait in line for three hours to save $20, you lost $1.75 by my count. And if you're like me and work in a hospital and could have worked those hours at your set salary, you don't come out ahead at all unless you bulk buy.

Besides, I'm waiting for the Mizzou clowns to tell me that Black Friday is racist and so is White Christmas.
 

Bodhisattva

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Aug 22, 2001
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There probably are a few good deals (mixed in with many normal sale prices or old clearance inventory) on Black Friday but why people would camp out and fight each other to save a few bucks is beyond me.
I know a few people who - in their younger days - would camp out in front of stores. It was more of an entertainment thing for them. I don't understand it, but to each their own. Like you said, those that are trying to save a few bucks aren't really thinking things through. They are apparently valuing their time at something approaching $0. But, looking at a lot of people who risk a stabbing for Walmart trinkets, perhaps their value is something around $0.
 

Bodhisattva

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The current minimum wage is $7.25 an hour - that's what you'd basically make working at any menial task job (like President, for example). So if you wait in line for three hours to save $20, you lost $1.75 by my count. And if you're like me and work in a hospital and could have worked those hours at your set salary, you don't come out ahead at all unless you bulk buy.
Yep. You beat my above post. Something tells me these people make decisions that are net economic losers regularly.
 

selmaborntidefan

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If you get in a wreck going to a shopping spree for Black Friday and have to pay a $500 deductible.....how much did you save?
 

mikes12

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Nov 10, 2005
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What's not to understand?

We spend a day being thankful for all our blessings. It only follows that we would go out the next day and trample people to get more. (Blue font)
 

exiledNms

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Aug 2, 2002
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I heard a comedian clip on the radio this a.m. that said something along these lines:
"I think the real reason people shop on Black Friday is so that they'll have a socially-sanctioned opportunity to punch other people in the face."

It all makes sense now. ;)
 

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