by Cade Smith
Black Fridays have been violent everywhere in the United States, most being altercations between shoppers. It has been recorded the amount of violence has decreased, but the violence is still there.
Fighting over a discounted item is ridiculous because everyone wants to get the best deal. I understand why wanting the lowest price is important, but fighting over it is unnecessary. On Black Friday people should be civilized like they normally are, not becoming savages when a big sale is happening.
Since Black Friday sales happen on Thanksgiving, people would often bail on family dinner for a discount. Thanksgiving is for being with family and being thankful for what you have, not for buying things for a bargain. Yet Black Friday gets started earlier and earlier every year, causing people to leave the dinner table to go shopping.
This year, I don’t want to see news about violence on Black Friday. When you’re in the stores, don’t make arguments physical and don’t force your way through to get to the front. Do not make it the Hunger Games when shopping.
For some stores, you can pay online and pick up that day or the day after, so there is an alternative instead of going into a store. You could online shop on Cyber Monday. It’s possible to avoid going to the store, and your purchases come to your door.
If you’re finished with holiday shopping, you could stay home that day. Since the shopping’s already done, there isn’t a reason to go out during Black Friday. But if you’re like most people, you should be careful when going shopping on Black Friday.
Though according to some sources, Indiana is ranked eighth on the list for most likely to have Black Friday fights. The violence on Black Friday is higher in Indianapolis.
According to the New York Times, the causes of the violence and chaos on Black Friday is scarcity and competition. “When a consumer feels a product is scarce, they value it more. Dr. Nichols, a colleague of Sharron Lennon a professor in the merchandising program, has found that scarcity starts “consumer competitive arousal,” which is the belief that a consumer situation is a competition in which there are potential “winners” and “losers.” Similar feelings start in auctions.”
The New York Times also states “Competitive arousal can be started by a perception that a specific good, like a flat-screen television, is in limited supply and only available in a short period of time. Shoppers may exhibit a similar heightened sense of competition that can lead to such behaviors as shoving other shoppers or taking goods from another customer’s cart. Such behavior is similarly perceived as a way to ‘win.’ ”
I am hoping this year will be different than past years. There shouldn’t be a death over a bargain on a product, or an employee being trampled because people make a stampede to get to certain items faster. I just want for people to get along and diffuse arguments.