Author Topic: Black Friday  (Read 2996 times)

Black Friday
« on: 23 November, 2018, 07:30:08 am »
What a load of nonsense we seem to have imported, no relevance to us in the UK but im being deluged with emails about it.

Serious question, rightly or wrongly we are leaving the EU at least in part driven by the desire to control our own identity and destiny - I get that, but why do we import a concept like Black Friday, Trick or treat and so on? What wrong with doing things our way?

Rant over, off to work now.

A

Re: Black Friday
« Reply #1 on: 23 November, 2018, 07:40:07 am »
Yes, we should get rid of all this foreign nonsense starting with Christmas.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Black Friday
« Reply #2 on: 23 November, 2018, 08:58:08 am »
It's highly relevant to us and always has been, as Napoleon for one famously noted.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Black Friday
« Reply #3 on: 23 November, 2018, 09:07:55 am »
Yes, we should get rid of all this foreign nonsense starting with Christmas.

What, that well known pagan festival of winter rebirth?

Oh, you mean the one the religious zealots hijacked and moved to suit their own agenda.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Black Friday
« Reply #4 on: 23 November, 2018, 09:23:53 am »
There's nothing wrong with doing things "our way"; it's just that there's more profit to be made by selling the punters as many excuses for celebration as possible. Don't forget that many UK concerns are US-owned.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

ian

Re: Black Friday
« Reply #5 on: 23 November, 2018, 09:26:28 am »
It's given me a brief respite from the PPI claim and get-your-mum-to-guarantee-your-loan ads on the radio.

Re: Black Friday
« Reply #6 on: 23 November, 2018, 09:27:08 am »
I'd never heard of Black Friday until this time three years ago. We were staying in London for a couple of nights, (the main purpose of the visit escapes me), and thought it would be nice to take little Joe to Hamleys toy shop on Oxford Street, completely unaware of not only the existence of Black Friday but also that it was Black Friday.

Horrendous only goes half way to describing the scenes in the shop and the wider area, the little guy had to spend the whole time on my shoulders just to avoid getting trampled or suffocated.  If Black Friday is the best that the High Street can do to attract shoppes then no wonder its failing. 

I'm not a fan of shopping at the best of times and how anyone can regard it as an enjoyable leisure activity is totally beyond me1



1Statement naturally excludes bike shops stocking everything the mainstream stores don't; recumbents, cargo bikes, tandems, dutch bikes, touring bikes etc.   

Beardy

  • Shedist
Re: Black Friday
« Reply #7 on: 23 November, 2018, 10:46:33 am »
There is only one safe way to approach Black Friday.
Only buy the things you intended to buy in any case, and only then when you have checked that they are ACTUALLY the same price or cheaper than they were when you did your research.
DAMHIKT.
For every complex problem in the world, there is a simple and easily understood solution that’s wrong.

Re: Black Friday
« Reply #8 on: 23 November, 2018, 10:47:33 am »
Believe it or not Black Friday in parts of the UK pre-dated a US “ import”.

In Swansea it’s been a fixture from the days when miners all came into the town on a specific Friday, straight from work ( I.e. unwashed) for shopping, and it seems festivities.
It’s still a fixture in the city, albeit now as a big night out (the local police plan for the extra work!).

Re: Black Friday
« Reply #9 on: 23 November, 2018, 12:13:47 pm »
Indeed.in Swansea Black Friday still refers to the last Friday before Christmas. People leave work early to go to town to drink to merriment and beyond to the blackness of oblivion. Mobile triage points are sometimes set up.

But Swansea is strange. Beaujolais Nouveau Day is still a massive thing:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-38000337

Re: Black Friday
« Reply #10 on: 23 November, 2018, 12:52:03 pm »
Of all the American imports Black Friday annoys me the most, to an almost irrational pitch.
But, I'm aware it's only advertising - and advertising is part of the 'background noise' we accept for having a capitalist economy. (Maybe look at Alexanderplatz in Berlin to see how that noise works in practice).
My answer to Black Friday is not to engage at all, it's a tiny protest, but as a consumer it's all I can do.
Too many angry people - breathe & relax.

Re: Black Friday
« Reply #11 on: 23 November, 2018, 01:06:47 pm »
Indeed.in Swansea Black Friday still refers to the last Friday before Christmas. People leave work early to go to town to drink to merriment and beyond to the blackness of oblivion. Mobile triage points are sometimes set up.
In Bridgwater, Black Friday was the day after the carnival, which used to be the Thursday nearest to Bonfire Night. People had spent all year preparing for the carnival, with the usual panic in the immediate run-up to the event itself, then just went back into the town on the Friday to get wrecked. Apparently not a pretty sight, but that can be said of Bridgwater most of the time. Don't know what happens now the carnival has moved to the Saturday.
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Black Friday
« Reply #12 on: 23 November, 2018, 01:13:11 pm »
I'd never heard of Black Friday until this time three years ago...

I first thought it referred to a massacre or some other disaster. Turns out I was right, although I couldn't say which one:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Basil

  • Um....err......oh bugger!
  • Help me!
Re: Black Friday
« Reply #13 on: 23 November, 2018, 01:33:08 pm »
Today I bought a newspaper and a sourdough loaf.
Neither were discounted, which was rather disappointing.
Admission.  I'm actually not that fussed about cake.

Re: Black Friday
« Reply #14 on: 23 November, 2018, 01:39:47 pm »
Perhaps the message that 82% of Black Friday goods are cheaper at other times of the year has sunk in....
https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=C3gDT_1542969724
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

Andrij

  • Андрій
  • Ερασιτεχνικός μισάνθρωπος
Re: Black Friday
« Reply #15 on: 23 November, 2018, 03:17:45 pm »
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup:

essexian

Re: Black Friday
« Reply #16 on: 23 November, 2018, 03:26:35 pm »
I have actually found a deal on something I was going to buy anyway!!!!!

So, CBH has been on at me to book tickets to see The Primitives at the Institute in Birmingham next month but I keep forgetting! Anyway, she reminded me today so off I went and got two for the price of one from Ticketmaster..... yes, I know, Ticketmaster!!!!  :o :o :o :o

Sadly, while they have other two for the price of one offers, none are for bands I want to see.  The offers last until next Friday.

 

Re: Black Friday
« Reply #17 on: 23 November, 2018, 03:34:30 pm »
Perhaps the message that 82% of Black Friday goods are cheaper at other times of the year has sunk in....
https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=C3gDT_1542969724

Hindsight is great. Without it though there's no way to easily tell whether the deal you're being offered now is going to be better or worse than any deals in the future. Also knowing that it was offered for x% lower than now a few months ago doesn't really help as that offer has gone, so your stuck with the same gamble of buy now or hope it reappears at the same lower price in the future.

Sites like pricespy.co.uk help.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Black Friday
« Reply #19 on: 23 November, 2018, 06:39:13 pm »
Black Wednesday, when the markets crashed in 1987 was much more entertaining for me!

My then not quite ten-year-old brother watched the stocks on TV while fielding calls to my Dad, who then contacted his stockbroker...

Brother now works for Black Rock...

Re: Black Friday
« Reply #20 on: 23 November, 2018, 07:37:49 pm »
I actually ventured into Cheltenham this morning. My first time going into a town on a major sale day. It was quieter than your average Saturday. I only went in to get a watch strap shortened but stayed to get xmas shopping done; I've got to do it at some point so I may as well do it today and might pick up the odd saving when doing it.

For amazon shopping I use Camel Camel Camel to see how the prices compare.

ian

Re: Black Friday
« Reply #21 on: 23 November, 2018, 08:14:10 pm »
It's probably worth remembering the cheapness always comes at a price.

Gattopardo

  • Lord of the sith
  • Overseaing the building of the death star
Re: Black Friday
« Reply #22 on: 23 November, 2018, 08:25:31 pm »

Re: Black Friday
« Reply #23 on: 29 November, 2018, 09:08:39 pm »
This does remind me of the behaviour economic trick done by apple when the iPhone was first released. No one knew what a smart phone should cost as it was the first one. Apple overpriced it and then very quickly discounted it to a lower price (which was much higher than any other phones). If they released at the lower price to start with, people would have seen that as hugely expensive. Instead, people thought that they were getting a bargain.

Re: Black Friday
« Reply #24 on: 29 November, 2018, 10:52:12 pm »
It like the trick on getting rid of an old fridge you dont want. Stick outside your house on the road and it will sit there for weeks. Stick a sign to it saying £50 ono and it will be gone in a couple of hours as some one will steal it.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.