Ever wonder why Black Friday is called that? Because retailers income statements turn from red (YTD losses) to black (YTD profits.) So, it has been especially amusing for me to see advertisements about Black Friday. To those of us living in the Grand Valley, it is all too reminiscent of Black Sunday, when major oil and gas companies suddenly shut down and our economy crashed, as it always crashes at the end of a boom and bust cycle.
Black is worn at funerals. It is the color of mourning. So why on earth do retailers think that Black Friday is a good marketing scheme? Because we act like sheep. If they tell us often enough that we should go shopping the day after Thanksgiving, so that they can have a profitable year, we will all just go shopping. Americans did go shopping! Records were set for retail sales. Now we are being told that we didn’t spend enough and we should do more shopping on Cyber Monday.
For the record: I didn’t buy anything on Black Friday, and I’m not going to buy anything on Cyber Monday. OOOPs, I forgot. I got an E-mail offer of 30% off on some candles if I would buy them today. I burn candles to forget how early it gets dark at this time of year. Cyber marketing got me.
The point I’m trying to make is that we should all take a hard look at what we buy, and how necessary it is. I like new clothes, but I made a New Year’s resolution that I wouldn’t buy any new clothes, other than shoes, in 2011. So far I bought one Downtown Farmer’s Market T-shirt, which I promptly gave away as a gift. This is one resolution I’m determined to keep.
Not shopping does nothing for economic growth, and our economy is still in the pits. Maybe we need to rethink our perceptions about our economy. Is growth always a good thing? Are we spending money on all the wrong things for all the wrong reasons? Do we really need to go shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday in order to be good citizens? Is destroying our environment for the sake of temporary jobs in a boom and bust economy a reasonable thing to do?
I’m just asking…
Black is worn at funerals. It is the color of mourning. So why on earth do retailers think that Black Friday is a good marketing scheme? Because we act like sheep. If they tell us often enough that we should go shopping the day after Thanksgiving, so that they can have a profitable year, we will all just go shopping. Americans did go shopping! Records were set for retail sales. Now we are being told that we didn’t spend enough and we should do more shopping on Cyber Monday.
For the record: I didn’t buy anything on Black Friday, and I’m not going to buy anything on Cyber Monday. OOOPs, I forgot. I got an E-mail offer of 30% off on some candles if I would buy them today. I burn candles to forget how early it gets dark at this time of year. Cyber marketing got me.
The point I’m trying to make is that we should all take a hard look at what we buy, and how necessary it is. I like new clothes, but I made a New Year’s resolution that I wouldn’t buy any new clothes, other than shoes, in 2011. So far I bought one Downtown Farmer’s Market T-shirt, which I promptly gave away as a gift. This is one resolution I’m determined to keep.
Not shopping does nothing for economic growth, and our economy is still in the pits. Maybe we need to rethink our perceptions about our economy. Is growth always a good thing? Are we spending money on all the wrong things for all the wrong reasons? Do we really need to go shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday in order to be good citizens? Is destroying our environment for the sake of temporary jobs in a boom and bust economy a reasonable thing to do?
I’m just asking…
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