Author Topic: Black Friday - who's buying?  (Read 6138 times)

Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #25 on: 23 November, 2021, 07:43:41 am »
Are you really getting the bargains you hoped for? This BBC article suggests (maybe) not.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59380453

Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #26 on: 23 November, 2021, 08:29:14 am »
I would check the plug fuse first if you haven't already.

It's the "Start" buttin thats died, finally.  And it looks like the only (very small) replacements that will fit the hole are all out of stock anyway  >:(
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

ian

Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #27 on: 23 November, 2021, 09:32:14 am »
At some point this week, you'll hear the urban legend about it being so named because it was the day slave traders had a clearout.
I didn’t know that. It’s disgusting that they still use that title for the sale day. I’m outraged.

I daren't check Twitter, it's probably happening now. I never know if it's started as a piss take these days. There was a campaign a while back to force Crayola to remove its racist crayon.

barakta

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Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #28 on: 23 November, 2021, 12:47:31 pm »
Are you really getting the bargains you hoped for? This BBC article suggests (maybe) not.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59380453


De Sisti beat me to it, I had seen tweets from Which saying that most deals were not deals.

The way to get round it does seem to be what most people in this thread are doing, having an idea of what is wanted, an idea of usual prices and only buying on/near Black Friday if it's a good enough discount to bother with.

I think there's a lot of people who "can't resist a sales board" and think they're getting a bargain and don't stop to think. And it's not just "stupid" people, a dear friend of mine has a PhD in robotics but is also autistic and in a big shop is so 'overloaded' that his maths and common sense brain shuts down and he buys any old shite if it says "bargain". His wife usually tries to keep him out of the supermarket cos it's not worth the bad deals and random shit he brings home for the evening meal despite being given A List.

And of course, that's kinda what shops are now designed to do, override internal sensible decision making and encourage impulsiveness in many ways. It's hard to blame people when there's millions of pounds spent trying to persuade them in many ways including sneaky psychology or distraction etc.

I hate shops, it makes life a lot easier not to buy random shit. I also remember being pretty poor so haven't changed that mentality a lot.

Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #29 on: 23 November, 2021, 12:52:01 pm »
Never have done any and don't intend to.
+1. I'm even hazy about which Friday it is, because I can't be bothered to find out.

Kim

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Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #30 on: 23 November, 2021, 03:01:21 pm »
Never have done any and don't intend to.
+1. I'm even hazy about which Friday it is, because I can't be bothered to find out.

The one after Thanksgiving, innit.

(No, I've no idea when Thanksgiving is, on account of not being a USAnian.  I could look it up, but I reckon we only need to wait a couple of years before the horriblemarkets start foisting Thanksgiving tat on us...)

ian

Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #31 on: 23 November, 2021, 03:27:00 pm »
Food magazines are already full of Thanksgiving (it's Thursday), as a former resident of the colonies, I am familiar with their practices, such as the sweet potato and marshmallow casserole, something the European palette is unprepared for.

Canadians have a different Thanksgiving, though I'm often struck when on my nightly viewing of Canadian weather that Canadians seem to be the least suited people for living in Canada. I am of the opinion that the average Canadian would fare better in Basingstoke. They're constantly surprised by moose and stuff. We should offer them relocation. There are no moose in Basingstoke. It's better for all.

Wombat

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Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #32 on: 23 November, 2021, 03:57:50 pm »
Ian,
You've not been to Basingstoke lately, have you?
Wombat

Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #33 on: 23 November, 2021, 05:46:21 pm »
How are you spelling mousse?  :P

ian

Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #34 on: 23 November, 2021, 05:54:39 pm »
Ian,
You've not been to Basingstoke lately, have you?

Truthfully, I don't think I've ever been to Basingstoke, it just sounded like a safe place for Canadians. I can't put them in my garden because of the bears, which just re-creates the problem they have in Canada. Plus we'd have to plumb in hot and cold running maple syrup. There's a wood near us where they had Canadians camped during some shenanigans in the early 1940, they put down concrete paths so their dainty feet didn't get muddy. That said, I don't think Canada existed until the late 80s, it emerged around the same time as Bucks Fizz. Coincidence? You decide.

Kim

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Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #35 on: 23 November, 2021, 06:00:04 pm »
I learned everything that I know about Basingstoke from the 1990s documentary Get Real. I don't recall any møøse.

Mr Larrington

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Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #36 on: 23 November, 2021, 06:26:00 pm »
I don't recall seeing any møøses in Canada either.  These:


are USAnian møøses
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #37 on: 23 November, 2021, 06:29:19 pm »
Our local brewery, where I get my weekly supplies, is promising some sort of Black Friday offer.
I'm going away this weekend, where we will be drinking wine rather than beer, so I wasn't going to bother this week, but if the offer includes bottles and is worth it, I shall stock up.
If not, I won't.
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

Gattopardo

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Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #38 on: 23 November, 2021, 06:50:31 pm »
Might buy a magic battery jump starter thingy.  But not a black friday thing just on a shop shelf thing.

Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #39 on: 23 November, 2021, 07:07:11 pm »
I don't think that I have ever bought anything that has been pushed my way.
I don't see this as an opportunity to start to do so.

Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #40 on: 23 November, 2021, 07:39:08 pm »
Food magazines are already full of Thanksgiving (it's Thursday), as a former resident of the colonies, I am familiar with their practices, such as the sweet potato and marshmallow casserole, something the European palette is unprepared for.
...

Half my colleagues are from that way, so the quiet afternoons in this week’s diary tipped me off on the when.
I was going to file sweet potato and marshmallow casserole under “I can never tell if it started as a piss take”, but it seems it’s real and even Nigella and Jamie have versions of it.

Gattopardo

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  • Overseaing the building of the death star
Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #41 on: 23 November, 2021, 07:50:17 pm »
Have seen that, and thought it sounded a horribel mix

ian

Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #42 on: 23 November, 2021, 08:15:49 pm »
I can confirm it tastes exactly like you would expect it to only sweeter.

It does have a fascinating history of basically product placement:

Quote
In 1917, the marketers of Angelus Marshmallows hired Janet McKenzie Hill, founder of the Boston Cooking School Magazine, to develop recipes for a booklet designed to encourage home cooks to embrace the candy as an everyday ingredient. It featured plenty of instant classics, including fudge studded with chewy marshmallows; cups of hot cocoa dotted with them; and, yes, the first documented appearance of mashed sweet potatoes baked with a marshmallow topping.

https://qz.com/quartzy/1466640/the-sweet-potato-casserole-is-thanksgivings-weirdest-and-most-american-dish/

Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #43 on: 23 November, 2021, 10:43:09 pm »
I can confirm it tastes exactly like you would expect it to only sweeter.


Which is really quite nice. :thumbsup:

Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #44 on: 24 November, 2021, 08:52:33 am »
As a human living in a capitalist society I buy stuff. Some of it is cheaper than any other time of year.

I also own a television.

ian

Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #45 on: 24 November, 2021, 09:13:47 am »
I can confirm it tastes exactly like you would expect it to only sweeter.


Which is really quite nice. :thumbsup:

To be fair, anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line, everything tastes like that.

Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #46 on: 24 November, 2021, 06:39:41 pm »
Just remember that black Friday matters.......... :facepalm:
the slower you go the more you see

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Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #47 on: 24 November, 2021, 08:24:38 pm »
Well the chimney sheep firm are saying if you buy from them this week they'll plant a tree.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #48 on: 24 November, 2021, 08:33:58 pm »
Well the chimney sheep firm are saying if you buy from them this week they'll plant a tree.
There is much awry with this post  :P

Kim

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Re: Black Friday - who's buying?
« Reply #49 on: 24 November, 2021, 10:25:06 pm »
https://twitter.com/BromptonBicycle/status/1463566161665314817

I know it's still marketing (I'm convinced the only reason the Brompton Hire scheme exists is to persuade people they want a Brompton by allowing them find out how useful they are), but it's the kind of marketing I can get on board with.