I received a text message from a fellow classmate asking if I had hit the stores for Black Friday. I replied that I hadn't, however, it appears that I was the only one.
247 million shoppers
That's how many participated this year in this annual event. Over the long weekend, $59.1 billion dollars were spent by these shoppers.
I have never found the appeal of buying "things" just because they were on sale or discounted. When I consider an item that is on sale, I will ask myself "would I buy this if it were for full price?" Usually, the answer is no.
I think SALES are the most genius marketing tool a company can employ to sell more. Think about it. If you saw a top that was for $10, you would treat it as any other purchase and consider if you really need it or not. This purchase is more likely to be thought out and deliberated upon. However, if you were to see the same top with a tag that read: "$10 marked down from $19.99," you would think about the actual product secondary to the "great deal" you would get. Sales urge consumers to be more impulsive, because everyone loves a "great deal." However, after a "successful" day of shopping the sales, a consumer may be left with a bunch of items that she didn't love and will probably never wear. If she never wears it, the $10 becomes a loss.
I got equally excited when I received multiple emails about Black Friday sales. However, after perusing the online sites and adding many items into my virtual "shopping bag," I took a moment to really think about what I had just done. I added 15+ items that I "kind of" liked, but was more considering just because they were cheaper than they were a day ago.
I deleted the items, closed my computer, and enjoyed the rest of my Thanksgiving free from marketing ploys. Because, at least for me, homemade pie just tastes better than the pies that have been marked down at Costco.
Source: http://money.cnn.com/2012/11/25/pf/black-friday-sales/index.html
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