Reconsidering Black Friday: Is It Really Worth It?

As you may have heard, some retailers are pushing the boundaries of “Black Friday,” the kick-off to the holiday shopping season, back into Thanksgiving Day itself.

Traditionally, stores opened their doors at 5 a.m. or so Friday morning to the crowds of consumers lined up for advertised “door buster” specials. But in recent years many big box retailers have opened their doors earlier than their advertised opening times, causing consumers to begin arriving even earlier, often spending the night in the parking lot.

Is all of this getting out of hand? Apparently some

Target employees revolt

Anthony Hardwick, an Omaha, Neb. Target employee, has started an online petition against the early opening and has collected nearly 37,000 signatures, he says. Hardwick told reporters he is scheduled for a 10-hour shift that day.

Retail employees might be forgiven for dreading an early start to Black Friday, when it can be said they could literally be risking their lives. On Black Friday 2008, a 34-year old part-time clerk at a Long Island, N.Y., Walmart was trampeled to death by a crowd he was trying to contain as they ripped doors off their hinges and rushed into the store. Walmart was later fined $7,000 for the death.

While Black Friday shopping is a tradition for many consumers, are there really that many savings? While big box retailers routinely advertise low prices on laptop computers, flat screen TVs, and other expensive items, stores usually only have a few of these items in stock. They go to the customers willing to stand the longest outside the door and then fight their way to the counter in the opening minutes.

Consumer complaints

Last year, Vicki, of Gallup, N.M., said she and her husband went to Walmart at 6:30 a.m. on Black Friday to buy a new flat screen TV.

“Forty-eight hours earlier I called and talked to the electronics department and was told that we would be given a voucher,” Vicki reported last year. “When we got there the TVs were sold out and the vouchers were never given out.”

That elicited this response from another Black Friday shopper, Anthony, of Pembrook Pines, Fla.

“That is what the spectacle of Black Friday is about,” Anthony told ConsumerAffairs.com. “Everyone lines up for doorbusters, and the ads themselves say there are extremely limited quantities! I have been 'BF'ing' for over seven years, and everyone I've run into always knows the deal: first come, first served, and if you want to guarantee a purchase, be among the first five in line.”

Adrenaline rush

In Anthony's view, Black Friday is an adventurous adrenaline rush in which you may or may not capture the object of your desire. The thrill of the pursuit is as important as any bargain. Less adventurous consumers should probably take that into consideration.

After all, Black Friday is followed by “Cyber Monday,” when online retailers offer bargains to those who shop online. While consumers aren't guaranteed of getting every low-priced item they want, they can at least shop in the comfort of their home, and not risk life and limb in the aisles of a store in the middle of the night.