Walmart Culture and Black Friday

True enough, unless you're using "culture" very broadly, or with irony.

THIS is why some states in the US require LICENSING for pepperspray! NO, peppersray IS dangerous! It can irritate and cause cardiopulmunary events in HEALTHY people, not to mention EYE problems. Further, that could lead to secondary events that could lead to MULTIPLE painful deaths and MAIMING! GRANTED, it is unlikely, but CAN happen and similar events HAVE happened!

ALSO, there is asthma, possible injuries from mistiming caused by the distraction, and possible allergies.

So NOPE, it isn't harmless.

It is like those low powered LED lasers! Harmless, RIGHT? Well, NO, over time, the damage can add up which is why all gadgets have WARNING LABELS! ****BUT**** they HAVE been known to cause crashes, and have endangered MANY people per some minor incident.

And WHY was she doing it? To get something that THEY otherwise might? Isn't that effectively STEALING?

Steve

She had to spray down the scumbags in that store... nothing wrong with that :-)

IMO cyber Monday is as big a scam as black Friday. What would be more amazing would be if we got fair prices all year around.


By the way, I'm old enough to remember when Carlin was a comedian.

<< Watch the OWS some time! THEY are the type of people causing those walmart incidents! >>

I don't think that's really true, though when you have thousands of people demonstrating obviously there will be all types. OCW admittedly has vague goals, but it's mainly anti-corporate and some even had anti-Black Friday protests today. I don't feel the need to protest Black Friday -I just stay away from the malls.

<< As for people claiming they are canadian abroad, that IS sad! >>

I don't know how many people really do that. I read that some American backpackers do it, but it's pretty silly. There is a stereotype of an obnoxious American tourist, but you do have your rowdy types everywhere. I happened to be traveling around Europe during the World Cup in 2006 and saw plenty of drunk Germans, Brits, Australians, Swedes, etc. who weren't exactly the epitome of high culture. On the other hand, the World Cup is only every 4 years, while we're stuck with Walmart every day :rolleyes:

[QUOTE=HeySal;5130687]Black Friday to me is the biggest indication of exactly how sick our society is. Not only that they will act like they do for a few sales - but some of the crap they even think of buying. >

Yes, that was my main point. I don't question that it's effective for businesses to take advantage of this. Nor would I question anyone's right to shop on that day. It's just sad and bizarre how extreme it's become. Of course, a forum devoted to marketing may not be the best place to express any kind of anti-marketing sentiment, lol. Though in my case, it's more of an anti-people behaving like rabid animals message.

At least with Cyber Monday, people aren't causing traffic congestion or pepper spraying each other!

I said as much in #8. If a business could figure out how to do it, they would probably have a GREAT sale and sell all the stuff at ONCE the MOMENT it hit the streets! If they had low enough prices, a good enough area, enough workers, etc... they would be a FANTASTIC overnight success! WHY? Because they would cut costs to the BONE, and corner the market! But companies DON'T release new products at the same time each year and getting employees to work ONE day would be near impossible, and places don't rent places for one day and logistics is DIFFICULT! SO, you have stores that may go HOURS, in some cases DAYS, or MORE, without ANY customers! They may have clerks with LOTS of down time. Sometimes I wonder how some places stay in business. Some stores in big cities close ALL holidays, and weekends because almost 100% of their business is from local businesses.

BTW I DID hear about a guy that was a clerk at a high end store. HE wanted to use a table to sell stuff at a LOW price. It worked SO well he quit and started woolworths. Of course there IS that famous story about a guy, named SAM, that tried a franchise of some sort, and was a success. I forget why, but he broke away, and started his own chain. Eventually it became walmart. Of course, things HAVE changed! NO LONGER are you likely to be at a train station, find some nice watches that were not purchased as agreed, and start your own chain. One guy, by the name of SEARS, once did THAT! Hard to believe, but it started as a discount watch store!

So trying to undercut people all the time is foolhardy. I tried that in the 1980s, with computer hardware and software, and it was easy. I wasn't trying to grow things though. When a business partner suggested trying it, we DID, in the 90s. We determined it was difficult to eek by a profit. Although our costs had dropped, so did suggested retail, and everyone's "retail" price.

So stores pull tricks to get you into their stores and try to imply that all their prices are the LOWEST. They HOPE they can get you to buy things you haven't even THOUGHT about.

Steve

What the deal? The guy died - and happened to be in a store when it happened. Store personnel and a nurse were helping and the nurse said the man was not being ignored.

If I see someone on the floor of a store with store personnel and people working on him or helping him....I would keep walking myself. I'm not trained in medical care and it's rude to stop and stare at someone.

I'm not convinced the opening at midnight and other tricks are working as planned. I went into a Walmart in Ohio on BF at 3 pm. NO crowds, cashiers with no lines. The place may have been a madhouse at 2 am but 12 hrs later (middle of the day on BF) very few shoppers. Looked like all they did was move the time frame - not extend the shopping frenzy. The cashier told me the crowd died out by noon.

I forgot it was BF and stopped in for dog chews for my Granddog - so I was relieved.