Those are good questions. Addressing them is a start to reforming the aspects of Black Friday that make me uncomfortable, as well, such as the way retailers treat consumers like cattle. I’m not going to judge consumers for finding pleasure in the purchase of a DVD player or joy in a shared ritual that has its roots in commercial enterprise, whether we’re buying goods at Target or shelling out money to attend a rock concert together. (It would be hypocritical of me to do — plunking down only $12.99 for Season 1 of “Mad Men” at Circuit City certainly put a smile on my face on Black Friday 2008.) What I do know is that with consumer spending accounting for two thirds of U.S. economic growth, Black Friday isn’t going to go away. So how can the experience be improved?

Improved crowd control is certainly essential. What happened at the New York Wal-Mart should definitely cause any major American retailer to assess its own procedures for safeguarding the welfare of employees and shoppers on Black Friday or any other event where larger-than-normal crowds gather.

My blog post yesterday, of course, is based on my own fairly tame personal experiences with Black Friday for two years running, including interviews I’ve conducted and eyewitness accounts of how retailers and consumers approach the day in one American city where I happened to live. As you can see, I’ve challenged retailers to put more focus on the consumer, not just the transaction. I specifically cited how retailers could tap into our intrinsic need to socialize and belong. But there are many more noble things retailers could do than the ideas I posted yesterday — like allowing charities to create in-store experiences at Black Friday or by providing Black Friday Bucks for consumers who donate to a cause benefitting their local community. So what would you do to reform Black Friday?

Very interesting. As one of your German colleagues I am always curious about other country’s traditions. In fact, we don’t have this kind of official starting point for holiday season. But we have ‘christmas markets’ (which is a German tradition). And in fact, they are packed and social (as we drink a special, heated wine) as usual. All the best for a happy holiday season.

Gerald

Happy holidays.

Funny enough, I have written a post yesterday in celebration of the International Buy Nothing day (Sat. Nov 29 and Friday Nov. 28 in the US). It is about the exactly same thing that you are writing about here, but from a diametrically opposite perspective.

I found the black friday ritual profoundly disturbing. 1) what you are writing about is consumerism with a social face, and 2) it is a matter of social habit formed by economic entities (companies).

I claim in my post, http://tinyurl.com/5jwppt, that (people’s) needs often get confused with their habits of products consumption/use. Social needs that you describe in your post included. The same social rewards/benefits that you describe (ritual, pride in being first, etc) can be achieved from doing something other than habitual consumption. Some more sustainable goals come to mind, like helping others, reducing poverty, or protecting the environment.

I am strongly against celebrating consumerism and the social habits formed around it.

Regards,

Ana