People can be animals. Nobody made them fight.

If certain retailers didn't offer items at huge discounts and then limit the number of items they will sell at that price, stampede, fights, and deaths over those deals would not happen. They knew damn well what would happen. The corporate execs are just as animal as the people fighting over the deals. They are just as much to blame, if not more.

i don't go to those sales. I'd rather maintain my sanity.

But I imagine the owners are laughing at the poor fighting the poor over paying what is probably cost for their sale items. It is unfortunate that people are so poor that they have to resort to such measures, but if the 1% didn't control 42% of the wealth =, things might be different.

to SAVE on a piece of junk due to end up in a land fill.

to act like a douchebag. I blame it more on a poor education system, and pure unbridled greed by the lesser elements of society.

And welcome.

The idea is that once in the store the consumer will still waste their money on the crap the store is hawking.

Of course, if 100 people camped out and more showed up right before opening things can get out of hand rather fast.

Note a comparable situation with stadium type events and liability.

A court making a decision doesn't make it right. A court gave Bush the 2000 election, a court let OJ and Zimmerman get away with murder. I don't know what cases you are referring to, but I believe there is a great deal of culpability by the organizers of these marketing plans.

...might have been to offer a rain check to anyone that purchased over a certain amount in that store (was it Walmart?) on Black Friday; say, $50 or something. Just an idea. So, yes, there probably is some culpability on the part of the store.

TYY

if it's some shitty one.

i remember someone checked reviews one year for some of the items being offered at "great" prices. and many of them had horrible reviews. and in many cases people could actually get something better for about the same or even lower price.

but i think a lot of people are just not informed. they fall for the advertising.

they have limited stock and might run out. The poor organization of product checkout leads to these unnecessary customer confrontations.

There are other ways to showcase a product, perhaps get a product card with bar code, check it out, then go to a pickup window, perhaps the following day. The customers don't have to fight over the items on the floor.

Waited in line an hour. They had a great price on PS3's, and that was the family gift that year (they had them online Thanksgiving day, but I was waiting for a check to clear in the bank account, and had cash on hand). Anyhow, about 30 mins before they opened, a few employees walked the line asking if anyone was there for this or that (certain TVs and other loss leaders that they had a small supply of). They handed out store maps, and to the people that were there for the TV or whatever, they gave a ticket for. That guaranteed them the TV, and killed the whole rampage aspect of things. I was in and out by 9:15 (doors opened at 9). Aside from the hour wait, it wasn't a bad experience. Nowhere near as bad as what you see on TV and whatnot. I don't plan on doing anything like that again, but it seems Target has their shit together when it comes to Black Friday.

and the shoppers too for jettisoning their dignity to buy a piece of merchandise. Not something that could save a life. Nothing that is worth fighting for. Mindless consumption. But, yes, Walmart puts out the bait in limited supply to creTe just such a stampede. It's no accident.

And the fact that those of us who don't make a real wage can't afford to buy shit. If we got paid more, we wouldn't be fighting each other for bullshit off brand tablets, TVs, and computers sold at bargain basement prices.

And I don't doubt it contributes to the craziness at Black Friday sales. But a lot of these items people do not need. Nobody needs a 50' LCD, you can find a decent tv or computer at a pawn shop or off craigslist for cheaper than what even the sales are for. These large retailers (6 of whom have more money than the lowest 140 million Americans) are using psychological marketing techniques to cause this mob mentality, while increasing their wealth and not giving a damn about anyone but themselves. I blame the owners of these companies more than the poor people fighting over the deals. I just don't see an easy solution to move towards a more equitable society,

It's not us. The owners of society are turning us against each other in a battle royale for resources. We're turning into that movie Mad Max. It's scary but that's the way we're headed.

3 super discount items for 3'000. people... no question it is engineered. Frustration can be a marketing ploy...

for a starving child.

It is the merchant's job to present gimmicks that bring in more customers. If you're lucky enough to get the sales item you desire, yay for you. If not, grin and bear it. If you don't have the temperament to lose graciously, stay home.

From my earliest shopping days men and women both have been scuffling with each other at madness sales. Movies have been made about it. Consumerism breeds it. Modern retailing breeds it. The difference is 40 yrs ago....or even 10 years ago the skuffle was not filmed on dozens of smart phones and gone viral in 30 seconds.

Arnold and Sinbad are fighting to get the hard-to-find toy of the year in an effort to prove how much they love their child...at least to themselves I suppose.

It was extreme, but not far from the truth either.

That's how I manage it.

We are not evolving to become better human beings , we are regressing in this country.
Not so in some other countries .

You cite a regression specifically in the US? I doubt that.

Can I ask you how old you are?

Because you said it, it must be true.

I'm over the America bashing for no legitimate reason.

Good knowing you.

the pilgrims, in a fictional scenario, broke bread with the Wapanoag (who actually fed the pilgrims because they were fools who had no food) is an example of regression in our nation. It's an example of extreme bargain hunting, nothing more. I'm sure if the lines weren't so daunting that a lot of the tsk-tskers would be out there, themselves.

You want to see regression? Have a look at the rise of the right wing in Europe--now that's regression. And that is something with which to concern oneself!

Buy a blue-ray DVD player for $5, only 2 at this price. That is what is causing the fights and the violence. Give a reasonable sale price for the day.

Unfortunately the shoppers... Very easily fall into herd mentality.

It's disgusting really.

or the nightclub fires in the 20s?

If you are going to invite a mob to your store you better have adequate means to assure orderly processing or you should by law be forced to.

The savage behavior at some of these sales events is inexcusable.

Blaming retailers/vendors for this shit is just another poor excuse for denying any personal
responsibilities for ones actions.

Thursday, Friday...whatever.

Retailers excuse themselves by saying earlier start up times are what the consumer wants. In reality, they are just wanting to draw the first customers into their stores.

It's the fault of both.