Not being an 8-year-old girl I didn't know much about the Mattel line of pricy dolls before I moved to Chicago.
Founded in the 80s and bought by Mattel in 1998 the American Girl company produces 18” dolls for girls – many with a historical connection. The store is a big draw for out-of-towners shopping in Chicago. As one female shopper at nearby Marshall Field’s mentioned, “The American Girl store is definitely a destination.”
This morning I ducked into a Michigan Avenue Starbucks to post a few entries here at Black Friday Watch using the store’s T-Mobile Hotspot.
A guy sitting two seats over chuckles, “You know there may be a few places to shop around here.” Glancing out the window toward the Apple Store I replied, “Oh yeah, this place could use a few more stores.”
Sensing an interview opportunity, I looked the guy over. He was a seemingly normal fellow – middle aged with thick hair graying around the temples. At his feet were half a dozen shopping bags. Bingo, I thought – I’ve stumbled upon my elusive prey, the Black Friday shopper.
To Mock or Mingle with the Maddening Crowd?
by Dara Cerv
Picture this—wherever you are in America, it’s Thanksgiving weekend. Last night you grazed the dining room table—turkey glistened in its juices, stuffing exploding from its insides, cranberry sauce glowed ruby red, mashed potatoes were slathered in thick brown gravy—wine flowed and family members ate and ate. Perhaps you fell asleep in a chair, waking up only to gorge on a turkey sandwich at midnight, then dragged yourself to bed.
Patriotic Consumerism
by Steve Himmer
By 1980, years of corporate hubris had delivered Chrysler Motors to the brink of bankruptcy. Chairman Lee Iacocca went to Washington with his tin cup in hand, and painted Congress a picture of the automaker as a vital beacon over the darkened economic landscape, and of American manufacturing as a bastion of our national values and virtues. In the process, he convinced legislators to pass the Chrysler Loan Guarantee Act to bail the company out. The familiar mantra that what’s good for car makers is good for America had been taken to heart as never before: Congress’ decision told the country that Chrysler, in a sense, was America, a source of identity as much as of wealth.
The Holiday Explained
by David Kender
America has had other Black Fridays. On September 24th, 1869, corruption in the gold market caused a sudden drop in value. Jay Gould and James Fisk, two shrewd speculators, had tricked and cajoled their way into President Ulysses S. Grant’s confidence, convincing him not to sell government gold. Gould and Fisk began purchasing and hording the remaining gold, driving prices through the roof. When Grant realized the conspiracy, he released the sale of the government gold, which flooded the market and sent value plummeting. The public panicked, and many investors were ruined in its wake. This scandal has come to be recognized as the one of unparalleled greed and immorality, even compared to modern Wall Street.