Black Friday 2022

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Retailers have made it less of an event, sure, by extending the sales period, but why is that bad?

It’s only bad, for consumers, if the price reductions are less, or the absolute prices are higher. And I think the reductions this year are less, and the prices, even after inflation, higher.

What I know is that I didn’t get anything free after rebate this Thanksgiving week. And I can’t remember last time that happened.

There was a time when I could have gotten almost every part to build a PC for free after rebate. Now, only 75 percent or so of the rebate checks actually ever came in the mail, but since I’m doing nostalgia, I should have left that out.

P.S. I did order parts for a new PC build the past few days, and will have only one rebate form to fill out (for the case). That’s a convenience improvement. Now I just have to find the WiFi adapter I got free after rebate, just in case I would ever need it, last November.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Growing up in SoCal, WalMart didn't move in until the '90's and didn't move in to my area until the 2000's. So I had a blessedly Walmart-free childhood.

I don't really remember people making a big fuss about Black Friday until the 2,000's, after I had moved to Texas. When retailers started opening on Thanksgiving day, that's when it got too crass for me.

It was well into the 2000's when someone was killed in a Black Friday crush. I don't remember which state.

I don't have personal experience with Black Friday. I've always avoided crowded stores.

[JSWolf]

There was a woman who would get injured on purpose on Black Friday just so she could sue the store.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

It’s only bad, for consumers, if the price reductions are less, or the absolute prices are higher. And I think the reductions this year are less, and the prices, even after inflation, higher.

Here's an example of a rip-off. I bought a 100 Watt USB-C/USB-A QC charger during the Amazon Prime sales. Now when I look at this same changer, the price is higher and with the discount, it's more expensive then it was on Prime Day with no discount.

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by Catlady

People pushing through doors to get the handful of items in stock with the super low price? Or, the online equivalent, hitting refresh for an hour, finally getting the item in your cart, and then having it sell out while you're trying to check out? Boring is preferable!

I didn't say anything about shopping in physical stores, I was talking about online shopping. Please don't suggest people said things they didn't, as it's really rude.

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

It’s only bad, for consumers, if the price reductions are less, or the absolute prices are higher. And I think the reductions this year are less, and the prices, even after inflation, higher.

Yep, most people don't realize that they're saving less money now and retailers love it. On Black Friday stores used to have really deep discounts on a few items to get people into the stores/onto their websites to buy other stuff that had lesser discounts. Retailers frequently lost money, or at best broke even on those best deals. (Which is why they were quantity limited.) Now they count on people assuming all the deals they call Black Friday deals will be great and it's working. Not all sales are equal.

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

What I know is that I didn’t get anything free after rebate this Thanksgiving week. And I can’t remember last time that happened.

I haven't seen anything like that, but I did discover a dock for the Steam Deck on Amazon that had three different promotional offers that could all be applied. Ended up with the dock, a nice desk stand and two different portable folding stands for $30. That is genuinely the best deal I've seen during Black Friday in years and it might not have been intentional on the seller's part. It's possible I'll end up with a refund instead of the items.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Here's an example of a rip-off. I bought a 100 Watt USB-C/USB-A QC charger during the Amazon Prime sales. Now when I look at this same changer, the price is higher . . .

The computer case I bought from Amazon last week is US$7.79 more today. I don't consider that a rip-off, but astute timing on my part

In the interest of multiple perspectives, see:

It’s not your imagination: Shopping on Amazon has gotten worse

When you search for a product on Amazon, you may not realize that most of what you see at first is advertising. Amazon is betraying your trust in its results to make an extra buck. . . .

. . . as a place to find products, it’s becoming a tacky strip mall filled with neon signs pointing you in all the wrong directions.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, but I review all tech with the same critical eye.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Catlady

"Ruined"? A sale is a sale is a sale. Retailers have made it less of an event, sure, by extending the sales period, but why is that bad? I'm glad to take advantage of a sale, whenever it comes along.

It's bad because the discounts aren't as deep, and stretching it out over two months is ridiculous. I prefer the old Black Friday, 3 days of sales and done. It was easy to keep up with. Now it's pretty much two months of multiple sales and a pain in the neck to keep up with.

But hey, that's me.

Originally Posted by Manabi

You kind of answered yourself there. Before Black Friday was chock full of really special sales you'd never see any other time of the year. It was exciting and even fun looking at the great deals and buying things during it. Now it's "[a] sale is a sale is a sale" and pretty boring.

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

It’s only bad, for consumers, if the price reductions are less, or the absolute prices are higher. And I think the reductions this year are less, and the prices, even after inflation, higher.

Originally Posted by Manabi

Yep, most people don't realize that they're saving less money now and retailers love it. On Black Friday stores used to have really deep discounts on a few items to get people into the stores/onto their websites to buy other stuff that had lesser discounts. Retailers frequently lost money, or at best broke even on those best deals. (Which is why they were quantity limited.) Now they count on people assuming all the deals they call Black Friday deals will be great and it's working. Not all sales are equal.

This...this...and this

[tubemonkey]

Alright, this extended Black Friday is pretty much over with. Some stores will linger with Cyber Monday sales for the rest of the week.

I'm done shopping. I spent a whopping $0.00 this BF/CM. That's a first for me.

How about the rest of you? Did you score any great deals?

[Renate]

I replaced my 10 year old 23" monitor for a 29" ultrawide for $170.
I replaced my Family Dollar $35 phone with a $130 unlocked phone.
(I wish that the thing was not so damn big!)

[Apache]

I bought a 50" Samsung TV from Sam's Club for $297.00. It was to replace one in my store that died a couple of months ago. I use it to display enlargements of my wife's custom designs. I didn't need anything and did not waste my time looking.
Apache

[TrevorViking]

Best deal I probably got was the $30 in free Amazon credit for buying $200 in AppplePay credit. Gonna spend ApplePay money eventually, might as well take the free $30.

Other than that, the usual movies and books and Knick-knacks. Deals seemed better this year than normal.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

It was well into the 2000's when someone was killed in a Black Friday crush. I don't remember which state.

I don't have personal experience with Black Friday. I've always avoided crowded stores.

My point is, Black Friday is not a legitimate holiday. It was something created by retailers, so complaining retailers are ruining it is kind of a dumb assertion.

Black Friday is gross, shining a spotlight on the worst of consumerism. In the past twenty years or so it had gotten so amped up it was sickening, forcing minimum wage workers to come in earlier and earlier until some were having to work on Thanksgiving (and I have been a retail worker around the holidays and have family members that were as well, so don't try a 'but the overtime!' argument).

I'm glad that online shopping is killing Black Friday. A $40 TV just isn't worth it.

And apropos to this conversation, the opening scene to Krampus:

[Fbone]

I purchased two cardigans for $70

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

The computer case I bought from Amazon last week is US$7.79 more today. I don't consider that a rip-off, but astute timing on my part

That's not a rip-off for the price of that case to rise when the sale is over. It's when the price is inflated when there is a sale going on. The USB charger is more expensive on sale then it was not on sale. It's still on rip-off sale. I'm waiting to see when it stops being on sale if the price goes back to what it was.

[JSWolf]

I bought one gift. I bought an 8GB PW5 on sale and a case to go with it.