BlackFridayWatch.com

The 2005 Black Friday Watch Wrap-Up

2005-12-02T14:53:40Z

Black Friday - the day, the weekend, the initial rush of holiday fervor - has now given way to the somewhat more staid season of "normal" holiday shopping. The mad bargain hunters who braved the elements at 5am last week are free to sit at home and mock at the rest of us, trudging through crowded malls that overheat as glittering red, green, and gold streamers block the upper air vents.

How did sales pan out? The results are mixed. The National Retail Federation put on a good face, reporting that total sales for the Black Friday weekend hit around 28 billion dollars, an increase of 21.9% over last year's take. The media told a less optimistic story. The Washington Post wrote that only moderate growth occured in November. Department stores faired most poorly, with only a 0.6% increase over last November. Chain stores did marginally better, with an approximate 3.5% jump. Other newspapers carried the same theme: the madness was not mad enough.

Our own reporters told a different story. BlackFridayWatch.com is overflowing with their tales of terror from the biggest shopping districts in America. They're not all terrifying, of course. Chicago provided some beautiful pictures of the tree lighting and fireworks display. The window displays of New York lit up the night. The rain in Seattle did not deter shoppers, although the fistfights that broke out in Atlanta may have temporarily detracted from the holiday spirit.

All in all, this was an exceptionally enjoyable experiment in journalism. We hope to return to the idea next year, with more correspondents and even bigger coverage. There are enough stories here to last a whole year anyway, so treat yourself to a five minute break while you're at work and browse through our archive.

Good-bye for now, and try to remember what the holidays are really for.

Black Friday Down...A condemnation of us all

2005-11-26T03:16:05Z

It’s over. I’m finished. I can go home and wash the stink of unashamed capitalist consumption and materialism from my person.

]]> Was it really that bad? Unfortunately, yes it was. As the day wore on I found myself and my posts becoming more and more cynical, sneering, and contemptuous. I did, in many ways enjoy myself. I’m an observer by nature, so I welcomed this opportunity to focus on a subject and find nuance where I might otherwise have seen only the surface. I got to see a part of American life that, by choice, I steer clear of. That part of the day was, indeed, enjoyable.
The disappointing and, in the end, sad part was what I actually observed. I think I had hoped to find some sort of redemptive qualities to contradict the stereotype that I had developed in my mind for the common participant in this consumer culture of ours. I was looking for good intentions in an institution where I see no good at all. At best, I saw passive participants who really didn’t care what they drove home with. At worst, I saw aggressive, ferocious self-interest and greed manifested for all to see in my common man. Most seemed to fall somewhere in between.
I didn’t intend my various blogs and postings to serve as a condemnation of the average consumer, but when it all comes out in the wash, that’s what they amount to. I’m not about to take a self-righteous stance here and put myself above it all either. We are all guilty as charged. Young and old, rich and poor. We live in a material world and acquisition has become our holly activity of choice. This need to consume is all-encompassing and all-pervasive. Even the most militant among us can’t fully escape its’ grasp.
The truly sad part of it all to me is that we seem resigned to accept it as our fate. It is so easy in the modern world to chase after and acquire everything we want to spite everything we need. It’s encouraged in all of us from birth, from day one. Advertising, education, peers, parents; They all point us in the same direction. Possession is synonymous with success. The Beatles were wrong, money can buy you and everyone around you love. We love and celebrate the rich, we marginalize and try to forget about the poor. We read self-help books and spend countless hours trying to improve our self-worth and self-image while millions suffer due to nothing more than popular ignorance. An ignorance imposed on all of us by those who have too much and want more.
In the end, I think that sums it up for all of us. We all have too much and want more. We’re full up and still hungry. We have more than enough while too many have nothing.

Final Thoughts

2005-11-26T02:50:40Z

I experienced my first Black Friday in a large mall when I was eleven, and since then, have made a point of remaining at home on the day after Thanksgiving. Today was a very welcome change from that tradition, for many reasons.

]]> Today I was a spectator to the best and worst in consumer behavior. I watched a little girl hug her new doll with absolute joy as her weary mother, who has traveled many miles to accomplish this purchase, looked on. I watched a teenager loudly berate her mother for not getting into a store fast enough to buy her a flat-screen television. I saw complete strangers offer each other neighborly advice on the best brands to buy and where to get the best deals on them. I saw people stand outside in freezing darkness and nearly trample each other in order to save some money on gifts.

The Holidays bring out the best and worst in us. We want to give wonderful presents to the people we love, but the gift-giving often becomes more competitive than benevolent, negating the entire purpose of exchanging presents. We place a monetary value on our love for those close to us, when we should simply be grateful that they are there. It is fascinating, then, to be in the middle of the biggest day of holiday shopping, and to be able to see the dichotomies of attitudes in the consumers: “I’ll buy an expensive computer to prove my love for my daughter,” a father thinks, and even pats himself on the back for being in the store when the doors open at the crack of dawn. In reality, no matter how much he tries to convince himself otherwise, he’s most likely there at the crack of dawn because that is when the prices are lowest. Were he really putting his daughter before his wallet, he would be spending those early hours with her rather than in the store.

Before I departed Princeton for New York, I learned that one of my closest friends had died during the night, around the time that I was getting up to go to Wal-Mart. No gift that anyone purchased for him today will matter now. What does matter was the time that he shared with the people who loved him. That, ultimately, was the way he knew he was in our hearts. And so, dear reader, as I sign off on this exhausting day, let me wish you the most wonderful of Holiday seasons, and to give you this humble suggestion: Cut some time from your shopping schedule to just be with the people you love. In the long run, that time will matter much more than any other gift you can give.

Times Square

2005-11-26T02:40:31Z

Heading back towards Penn Station, I wandered through an insanely crowded Times Square, where every shopper in the city seemed to have gathered.

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And may I humbly suggest that those in the city for Holiday shopping catch a show while they're here?

Bart to the...Don't worry. Last one.

2005-11-26T02:04:22Z

Bart doesn't run after midnight. Think about that one for a second. It's not just a matter of hassling out who the designated driver's going to be, you can't so much as go to a late movie and feel safe you're going to catch the last train across the Bay. And if you miss the last train, it's the TransBay Express (a sort-of-hourly bus) for you.

That said, I want to be a Bart driver when I grow up. I think the time has come to acknowledge our informative and amiable Bart conductors. Today I was especially attuned to how the drivers always announced the upcoming stop and the next stop and always leaned out of the window, at least creating the impression if nothing else that they're keeping an eye on their passengers.

Here's to you men and women of the Bay Area Rapid Transit District...

Bart to the City #6

2005-11-26T02:00:40Z

Obviously, the lack of a nap was making me cranky...okay, crankier than usual. I headed back down into the Powell Street Bart station.

Well. I guess I'm not the only one ready to head back home.

And in the end...

2005-11-26T01:53:23Z

Well, look at the time! My how time flies when you're trying to post a required number of blogs in the allotted time. Sure made for an exciting day, however.

For today I'd purchased a 24 hour T-Mobile pass, and I must say it worked flawlessly. My HP Pavilion zt3000 laptop's batteries held up well, with the occasional powered blog. Never got below 50% battery. My Merrill shoes kept me comfy in all my walking. My Fuji S7000 camera did an admirable job, save for chewing up its batteries before 5am. It all flowed rather well, taking the media card out of the camera, putting it in the card reader attached to my pc, then prepping the pics, and posting.

I hope you've enjoyed the blogs from Seattle.

Over and OUT!!!

Bart to the City #5

2005-11-26T01:52:34Z

Back on Market Street, I floundered around in Old Navy. This time I spoke to a woman who said she was the "Old Navy Market Street general manager." I add the skepticism here because (despite her being accommodating and friendly) everything else this person said was about how this was The Best Day Ever!

She didn't even acknowledge that it rained this morning...and like every other person I spoke to, no, I could not take a picture...meh.

Frasier Lives

2005-11-26T01:44:42Z

What would a Seattle blog be without passing by another great Seattle export. This was Frasier's city for many years, and he had a killer view of downtown. it's a well known viewpoint in Seattle.

Here's where his condo would be:

and the requisite, exquisite view:

I thought I heard Daphne in the crowd around here, but didn't see her. Speaking of which, I'm daffy right now. I basically didn't take much of a break today, running all over town, taking pics, writing, posting. It's a great way to see the city and meet people, but it makes for a long day. I need a comfortable recliner.

Perhaps I'll go to a furniture store and ask if there was any sales today. I've been too busy to notice.

Bart to the City #4

2005-11-26T01:43:31Z

I stood in line for H & M for a while. These folks told me (I'm pretty sure I'm the only one in the world who didn't know this) that this store just opened in San Francisco two weeks ago, and it's "big in New York."

Then I made my way back to Market Street. And it was not easy sledding those couple blocks because there were more people than the sidewalks could handle. I don't know. For the most part everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

I'll point out that I kept my eyes open for protesters, but I gave up after the second time my attention focused on a picket that turned out to say something like, "Follow Me For Savings!"

Bart to the City #3

2005-11-26T01:39:40Z

This store was the big winner on Union Square. While there was no waiting to get into Macy's, Rasputin's, or the Mac Store, this place had a line of people happily waiting and shuffling along in a line as long as a city block.

Pike Place Poobah

2005-11-26T01:30:49Z

I’m writing this one from another Starbucks, but not just any Starbucks, I’m at numero uno Starbucks, right here in the Pike Place Market.

]]> It’s a small store, no seating room at all, just a fairly narrow lane, filled with eager shoppers. There’s a good reason it’s small. This premier store opened in 1971, and they were just a coffee bean wholesaler. People came in, tried the beans, bought them, and left. No coffee was brewed here. Back then wireless meant that your phone wasn’t tapped. I see a broad international crowd in here.

There are lots of well known companies that got their start in Seattle. REI began here, and their flagship store is a must see event. I just walked past Sur La Table, a very busy place on Black Friday.

UPS got their start here many moons ago shortly after the turn of the century. Microsoft is rooted in nearby Redmond. Bill Gates and Paul Allen have had a huge affect on Seattle’s geography. Located in an old art deco hospital lies the Amazon.com complex, which overlooks Boeing field. I think the USA’s biggest export is Boeing airplanes. Not your typical gift item, but what a way to carpool.

I spoke with several shoestores, and they said business was as normal, as shoes are not typically purchased as a gift for others, and BF is normally associated with gift buying.

The Pike Place Market itself was booming.

Vendors said it was more of a typical busy Friday, nothing extraordinary for a BF. This place may seem touristy, but it’s always been a place for serious business. The vendors pay high rent for their spaces and need to sell their products. There’s a large and colorful lane of flower arrangements to walk by. There’s the produce stands,

and of course, there’s the seafood. We get a lot of sea creatures from Alaska, as Seattle has always been a big portal to the great Alaskan wilderness.

Bart to the City #2

2005-11-26T01:26:34Z

On one hand, the uncompleted Bart tunnels made a cameo in the film THX1138 and the rapid transit district does have a useful site, but a round trip ticket to San Francisco from across the Bay is more than US$5.

At the Disney Store in Union Square, I spoke to a greeter about the day. He said that all in all it was a fine day. Essentially, his attitude was that it definitely beat digging ditches, but mostly he had to restack the plush toys. It made him wonder if the store stacked the toys precariously on purpose, so you knock one over, then it has your attention, then you buy it.

Fair enough, I said. I noticed another greeter paying very close attention to what we were talking about while pretending not to.

It's only my second day, he said.

Bart to the City #1

2005-11-26T01:13:58Z

This afternoon I took a trip to the West Bay (also known as "San Francisco") on Bay Area Rapid Transit (or BART). I went to Union Square, saw some extraordinarily cheerful shoppers, visited stores, talked with empoyees and managers ("no, you can't take a picture in here") -- all under the most pleasant, crisp autumnal weather.

...but people still complained about the rain this morning. By the way, according to the National Weather Service we had light rain and temperatures around sixty. According to me, it rained for about an hour around nine. Don't get me wrong: I'm no hero. Rain's a natural disaster's how I see it

Time to pull the plug on this one

2005-11-26T01:01:40Z

This day is coming to an end at least for me and my equipment.

I am on the same juice as my laptop and both sets of camera batteries. We are all just about out of power.

]]> This has been a real neat experience….all good. It has been interesting to observe and report on the shoppers in the Chicago area and to read the accounts throughout the country. Especially the nuttiness that occurred at the break of day. The gonzo shoppers will get their items, period. Stay out of their way and you may see tomorrow.

If the shoppers of the world united, a true superpower would be developed. There is a science fiction story idea.

It is around 6:30 p.m. here and I am still viewing the streets from the second floor of Borders on State Street in Chicago. The people continue to be out in mass and enjoying the shopping and scenes. The coating of snow has created quite a holiday feel. Is this a holiday card moment? Maybe, but I think that I am more delirious than sentimental at this point.

I saw a report recently, actually more than once, that the average shopper in the United States will spend around $466. This is $10 lower than last year’s estimate. I don’t know about that figure. I saw some shoppers spend that much money with one arm tied behind their back today.

A day like this is good for the economy, that is the Black in Black Friday.

Enough of this babbling.

Happy Holidays everyone and to the best New Year yet!