On Thanksgiving, it's not your job to bail out the retailers.

I find the whole midnight shopping thing disturbing. It's Thanksgiving, time to spend with your family and loved ones. Not go shopping. In a desperate ploy to make consumerism the sole pursuit of the population, the retailers want you to get up from the Thanksgiving table, leave your family, and go shopping to buy them crap they don't need. And hey, if they have to drag their employees from their families to work, what the hell. Let's all go deeper and deeper into debt to prop up a flagging economy.
Please stay home tonight and give thanks for the people around you.

Big Sale 6:00 - 2:00 on Thanksgiving DAY....They can't even wait any longer til the day after Thanksgiving...What does that tell you?

Stores are opening all over the place, I mean, Jeez, can't the money making behemoth take a day off, I suppose WalMart is going to open on Christmas soon......

n/t

Just up the limit on your credit card. Advice I heard today on the CBS Morning show. F#%kers!!

..1:30! Are these people insane? Who the hell wants to go shopping at 1:30 in the morning? I for one, refuse to take part in the crass consumerism of the holiday season.

try 1:00am -> http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-nov2007-boise_mall.208aeb54.html

from Plow & Hearth..

We have three birthdays clustered at this time of year 11-11. 12-5, 12-15 (pretty shitty non-planning on our part)

I bake cookies, nut breads & cinnamon rolls..and make chex mix


and I do Target gift cards too..

But that's about it.. ALL our kids make way more than we do, so there's no reason to try and out-shop each other.. WE don't need or want anything, but time with them and they can afford to buy anything THEY want..

to get things they couldn't normally afford during the year.

They want to give their family's things that they have wanted

or needed but couldn't have, if it wasn't on sale on Black Friday.

Being together is a way to show love but so is giving a loved one a gift.

Although the retailers are pushing the envelope (I see your point)

I also understand why some people will be out shopping today or tomorrow morning.

Many can also get those http://bfads.net/">deals online and don't have to even leave the house!

Happy Holidays to All!

Independent retailers are hanging by a thread in nearly every community - but they still exist. You have a choice!

Much as I don't like Walmart, I bought my ammunition there because it was just too cheap to pass up. Then I read an interesting point of view: your local gun shop can't match Walmart's price, but it is owned and staffed by local people who will go out of their way to help you get the right (guns, ammo, holsters, training, etc.).

If they go out of business because everyone buys Walmart's cheap white box ammo, where will you go for all that knowledge? Now I buy my ammo from local sources, and I get to avoid Walmart altogether.

ALL the profits stay in your community.

He will actually tell me if some of his cuts of meat are not as good as he would like. He apologizes for necessary price increases. Last week, he told me that he was going to have to raise the price on a gallon of milk from $3.69 to $3.79 since his supplier was going to be charging him $3.50.

This little store has been in the family for over 100 years. He says it will be the end of the line when he retires. He doesn't want his sons to have to work so hard just to provide the basics. So, he is making sure they both get a college education. He's my age, so I'm guessing he'll be around another five years, if his health holds up.

I know I end up paying more when I shop there, but it's worth it to me.

... and ALWAYS go out of my way to patronize them instead of corporate stores or even national franchises.

One of the EASIEST choices is with restaurants... I eschew the "national chains" in favor of a local owner-operated nosherie whenever I have the choice. My absolute favorite deli-sandwich shop (best I've had) is owned and operated by two Russian immigrants who are just perfectly grumpy and curmudgeonly. Hardware stores - easy. I have two favorite family-owned and operated hardware stores I tout to everyone. I haven't been in a Home Depot or Lowe's for years. Barber and beauty shops - easy. I wouldn't patronize a "Super Cuts"or other franchise corporate store on a bet. I fall off the wagon on CostCo and Citgo ... but the Citgo stations I favor are local-owned franchises.

For gifts, think about an owner-operated candy/chocolate shop. They OFTEN have very unique treats and will usually meet 'special' requests. Chocolate is a gift that's almost always appreciated and one size fits all.

I am an independent sales rep and I sell only to mom and pop type stores. They are indeed hurting. I will say however, when you shop at their stores, buy the made in the USA or fair trade stuff if you can. Perhaps then they will back off the made in China stuff.

Also, K Mart has some very nice wrap and bows and tags MADE IN THE USA. You have to check the packaging though, some of their stuff is made in China. Wouldn't it be nice if what didn't sell was all the made in China crap?

it supports a small retailer (sometimes just one person) and it doesn't put such a strain on the environment.

they can afford to be open 24-7.

they lock their workers in a night, so I guess having them work is no big deal.

will be gone after the holidays. Many of them, I'm sure,
will enjoy a discount at the store they're working. ;)

they use their workers by giving them store coupons, thereby "paying" them by having them buy. Like the old company store. It's a fucking racket.

and I was paid pretty good (above minimum) and I got store discounts, so I was happy. ;)

The post: "I find the whole midnight shopping thing disturbing." is so thick with condescension, I find THAT disturbing.

Don't do it if you dislike it - I don't think it is your role to say: "Please stay home tonight"

It is my role as a citizen when I see something that pollutes the culture to point it out.
All I see from the MSM is boosterism of this 24/7 shopping mania. I think it is a disturbing trend and would like people to stop and think before they get up from the table and rush out to shop.
If you read my OP you will see I wasn't taking the shoppers to task, but the retailers and their cheerleaders this direction.

Sorry, but with all the endless promotion of needless consumerism on the day after Thanksgiving I am glad that someone is giving us an opposing viewpoint.

IMO and I have a right to my opinion. A friend told me that people are have been lining up at Best Buy since 9:00 this morning, so much for spending the Holiday with your family. What kind of lessons are the kids learning from this about family etc. What memories will they have...mom and dad gone lined up to buy stuff that will be obsolete within a year? I wonder what kind of society we will have in a decade with those kind of values. :-(

Free speech is allowed to every American, so it is part of his "role" to voice his opinion. I sure as hell would like to see MORE Americans expressing an opinion that is counter to that of the mainstream media machine's. This is a country that is drowning in debt, destroying the planet, and is disconnected from one another. This culture of consumerism as the ultimate goal of our existence will ultimately lead to our downfall.

Was that condescension? Were they dirty America-hating communists bent on sabotaging Holy Capitalism with their wily anti-business indoctrination?

Good Thread! This is the same way that people should be telling these oil companies--"I'm going to let that gasoline sit in your tanks at the station!"

will go out of their way to show throngs of happy shoppers at the stores.

;)

I think people are rude in stores any time of year, but the madness season seems to make it worse.

I buy things for my loved ones all year long. Things that they need, not junk meant to fill the "present for Christmas" slot that they are just going to throw away. This way, I hit the sales that I want to hit and get some really good buys for my friends and family. Plus, they have the things that they need WHEN they need them, and don't have to wait for Christmas. AND, my credit cards are not maxxed out at Christmas, or any other time.

And poor people with kids don't have that luxury either. I think I will find a family and donate to it.

We have three grandsons in college and we are helping them finacially. Next year will be two grandaughter in college and one more grandson! We have a grandson in Afganistan that we ship packages to every month. We try to put our money to the best use, and the children are our future and our best investment in life. We are fortunate to be able to help, but we have wisely looked to our future through the years,and college for our children and then for each grandchild that arrived. Every Birthday or Xmas money was deposited in their accounts in lew of gifts.They now thank us constantly for being so wise about their futures. I am proud to say that three oldest all received scholarships also.

I have to feed all the grouchy-ass shoppers on their quest for STUFF. I dread it so. Luckily, I work at a place that closes on T-giving. I've got the day off to chill before the madness.

Don't you know that the best way to fight terra is to shop?

I can't stand these pious types who still insist that they are citizens instead of consumers, people instead of purchasers.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

don't want us to "win" in Iraq and don't want us to be careful about what we say.

You must be one of those types who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberties.

Who the hell wants to face all that insanity?

That the biggest shopping day of the year comes the day after we are supposed to be thankful for what we have.

right you are!

:yourock:

The pundits tell us the average family will be spending $900 this hoiday season. Once again, this proves I'm not average.

I'm spending a grand total of $9 this holiday season for a bottle of wine my wife likes. This is about all I can afford truthfully.

Screw racking up $1,000's in CC debt!

Actually, it's gone international as well.

website: http://adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd/view.php?id=403

"BUY NOTHING DAY IS COMING – NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
(November 23 in the USA and Canada, November 24 internationally)"

This holiday season I will buy NOTHING! It's time to stop this rampant consumerism once and for all. If you do want to give gifts to loved ones this year may I suggest spending your money purchasing gifts from sites like the Hunger Site, the Tibetan Nuns or sites that sell Fair Trade items. Even try to support local business people or buy hand made items at local craft shows or Farmers Markets.
I just can't buy into another holiday season. I am over it! My friends and family know I love them. I don't have to spend money to show them that I love them.
I try to give from the heart. Not when the retailers tell me I should.
I just can't afford it anymore. I am barely paying my rent.

Peace and love to all and have a happy, "non-consumerist" winter season.

pockets is coming back to bite them in the collective ass in a variety of ways.

One of those ways is that people are paying down their credit and not taking on more. Another is that with the economy trembling under the collapse of the housing bubble, oil prices soaring, and using any credit becoming a scarier proposition than ever before, a lot of people are dialing back their Christmas spending--as well as a lot of other spending. What they can put off buying, many people now do put off buying. The idiots on top never stopped to think about how they would maintain an economy that absolutely depends on excessive consumer spending if they squeezed the consumers so hard from all sides--outsourcing jobs, tightening credit, foreclosing houses, pushing gas prices higher, etc.--that they couldn't afford to spend an extra cent.

Too bad people don't have the purchasing power that they did last year or prior years. I expect very weak sales this year.

3 dollar gas donchaknow.

if we don't go shopping it sure doesn't hurt americans.

americans do not produce anything.

all those electronics we buy? foreign.

all those clothes we buy? foreign

all that cheap crap we buy? foreign.

the americans it DOES hurt are the stockholders.

and their philosophy of ever incresing dividends, at all costs, is a major cause of WHY we don't produce squat.

so, don't buy.

it won't hurt anyone but the people who SHOULD be hurt. (and the unfortunate workers at swill-mart, who's "corporate" influence also help to make our bed... but hey, no pain, no gain, right?)

ok, ok. i'm just trying to make a point.

now who wants to participate in the firing squad being organized for the denizens of wall street, the corporate boardrooms, the supporters of out-sourcing, the financiers responsible for off-shoring, the republican leaders who are dismantling the constitution, their pathetic, selfish, greedy, bigoted core of voters, AND the sniveling, cowardly excuses for democratic leadership ENABLING all this crap?

any volunteers???

but it's a no go because when you have kids it's just not an option to forego the entire brouhaha, the gifts, etc.

That said, I will NOT be shopping on "Black Friday" but will look at the ads in the newspaper for grins. I plan on shopping online as much as possible this year since shopping in the stores really zaps my Christmas "spirit" big time.

That's the only way "big bidness" will get the message we're tired of outsourced jobs and poisonous Chinese crap.

You are so dead-on right.

This obsessive shopping compulsion on Thanksgiving night and Black Friday is incredibly perverse.

Retailers love those shoppers and they will twist, cook and boil those sales figures to "predict" a fantastically profitable holiday season so that their shareholders don't panic.

As far as I can tell, most Americans cannot afford to spend recklessly this year.

Send the retailers a message and don't buy.
Send Wall Street a message and don't buy.

Inflation, adjusting ARMS and rising credit card lending percentages are going to absolutely kill working Americans after New Years. Not to mention petroleum prices as they seep through the economy, raising the price of nearly everything.

Better than going next week and giving them full price.

the economy is in the toilet. I doubt that Black Friday will give retailers the numbers they are hoping for.

Please. Just don't.

B-)

I have Christmas presents for everyone in my life - friends here and out of town. Most of them are bought via eBay or are memberships in worthy organizations like ASIFA Hollywood. The thing is, none of these people will buy ME anything of comparable value. They are all broke thanks to the Bush economy. And I feel so bad for them I'm buying them things for Christmas.

Now, one of the Black Friday sales has something I'd like for myself, at a price unavailable at any other time of year. A hard drive for a computer I'm putting together for myself. And even though I'll be dead tired Friday morning, after a whole day of feeding some of those impoverished friends, and working a twelve hour shift throughout the night, I'll be going to that sale.

I hope my not joining your pointless, invisible protest, so that I might bring myself one moment of holiday joy, doesn't break your politically-correct heart. And if it does, you can read my response to you off the walls of certain public restrooms.

except the morning show today were even more obscene with their "JUST GO SHOPPING DAMMIT" boosterism than yesterday.
It would be nice to have just one person on one of these shows question this crap. Instead of the "Why aren't you at the mall too" attitude.
I'll say it again:
It's not our job to save the retailers.
Stay home with your loved ones. The memories will last longer than the DVD player you buy at 20% off.