What would you like to buy for Prime Day/Black Friday?

[Pink Jazz]

I would like to know, what would you like to buy for Prime Day or Black Friday?

I would like to buy the U by Moen Arbor Smart Faucet in Spot-Resist Stainless Steel.  Hopefully there is a deal for it.  Last year Amazon offered a deal on the two-sensor Moen MotionSense faucet on Prime Day, so hopefully this year they offer a deal on the U by Moen.

[Max Rockatansky]

Really Black Friday ought to be cancelled...more so because of COVID-19.  That said, I am morbidly interested in how states, localities, and retailers will choose to handle the onslaught of humanity that usually entails Black Friday shopping. 

But answer the question posed, I have nothing that I want from Post-Thanksgiving shopping that can't be obtained during normal times.

[Pink Jazz]

Really Black Friday ought to be cancelled...more so because of COVID-19.  That said, I am morbidly interested in how states, localities, and retailers will choose to handle the onslaught of humanity that usually entails Black Friday shopping. 

But answer the question posed, I have nothing that I want from Post-Thanksgiving shopping that can’t be obtained during normal times.

Home Depot is going to offer deals throughout the months of November and December, and there are rumors that Amazon is going to start their Black Friday deals on October 26 (Prime Day is rumored to be on October 5).  In Amazon's case, the difference between Prime Day and Black Friday is that the Prime Day deals will be exclusively for Prime members, while both Prime and non-Prime members will have access to the Black Friday deals.

[Max Rockatansky]

Really Black Friday ought to be cancelled...more so because of COVID-19.  That said, I am morbidly interested in how states, localities, and retailers will choose to handle the onslaught of humanity that usually entails Black Friday shopping. 

But answer the question posed, I have nothing that I want from Post-Thanksgiving shopping that can't be obtained during normal times.

Home Depot is going to offer deals throughout the months of November and December, and there are rumors that Amazon is going to start their Black Friday deals on October 26 (Prime Day is rumored to be on October 5).  In Amazon's case, the difference between Prime Day and Black Friday is that the Prime Day deals will be exclusively for Prime members, while both Prime and non-Prime members will have access to the Black Friday deals.

It's not so much the hardware stores that are usually the problem on Black Friday.  To them having a 200k plus day for most locations is pretty much as high as the volume goes.  The general retailers like Target and Walmart are traditionally the ones that push hard for Black Friday deals which brings in a sea of people.  When I ran security for a $60,000,000 dollar Sears store we have a $2,500,000 dollar Black Friday (about 13 years ago). The crowds were absolutely nuts and I can't fathom that a lot of localities are going to be cool with that many people packing into retail buildings. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Regarding capacity/crowd limits there is a big problem on the horizon for retail this holiday season.  Every locality is different but I know a lot of states and cities are putting serious restrictions on the number of people who can be in a retail establishment.  For example in California the Purple High Risk counties can only have 25% maximum capacity in general retail and 50% in grocery.  The maximum capacity seems to be tied to the occupancy limit of a particular building.  So effectively what likely means is that there will be an even more massive line outside on Black Friday which will carry a huge wait time just to get in the door.  I can foresee situations where people might try to camp out a day in advance to get in the door first.  Retailers will probably have to institute things like purchase quantity limits.  Either way I don't think the scope of the deals will be anywhere near as large as they have been past years.  There is a lot of bad publicity at the moment that comes with attempting to draw large crowds. 

[GaryV]

A lot of stores have already announced they will not be open on Thanksgiving for "early" Black Friday sales.  A good thing, in my mind.

I have no problem avoiding the crowds on Black Friday - I haven't ever gone shopping that day.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

A lot of stores have already announced they will not be open on Thanksgiving for "early" Black Friday sales.  A good thing, in my mind.

I have no problem avoiding the crowds on Black Friday - I haven't ever gone shopping that day.

There's really no reason for department stores to be open Thanksgiving night.

"But cops/paramedics have to work!" - your need to buy a TV is not an essential service.

"But employees could want the holiday pay!" - these stores rarely offer holiday pay, so this is another ploy to insist your need for a TV is essential.

[Max Rockatansky]

A lot of stores have already announced they will not be open on Thanksgiving for "early" Black Friday sales.  A good thing, in my mind.

I have no problem avoiding the crowds on Black Friday - I haven't ever gone shopping that day.

There's really no reason for department stores to be open Thanksgiving night.

"But cops/paramedics have to work!" - your need to buy a TV is not an essential service.

"But employees could want the holiday pay!" - these stores rarely offer holiday pay, so this is another ploy to insist your need for a TV is essential.

Not only that retailer workers are often expected to work a nightmare shift that could be 12-20 hours long from my experiences.  I've even one guy beat down so hard by I through the course of the day the dude had a literal panic attack.  I know Business is in business to do business, but really there (IMO) should be a reprieve this year from the gluttony of Black Friday Weekend.  If some localities have to use a strict definition of "essential"  line Vermont was doing I'm all for it.

[Pink Jazz]

A lot of stores have already announced they will not be open on Thanksgiving for "early" Black Friday sales.  A good thing, in my mind.

I have no problem avoiding the crowds on Black Friday - I haven't ever gone shopping that day.

I wonder if certain areas will have Amazon deliveries on Thanksgiving Day this year.  I know Thanksgiving, along with the Fourth of July, are two holidays where depending on local demand there may or may not be deliveries in specific areas (it is decided by the regional Sortation Center).  I know this past Fourth of July Amazon was only doing Same-Day delivery here in the Phoenix area (Same-Day has a dedicated Delivery Station here).  I wonder if this will also be the case on Thanksgiving here.  I know historically the only two holidays with no Amazon deliveries at all were New Years Day and Christmas Day.

[jeffandnicole]

A lot of stores have already announced they will not be open on Thanksgiving for "early" Black Friday sales.  A good thing, in my mind.

I have no problem avoiding the crowds on Black Friday - I haven't ever gone shopping that day.

I remember last year there were some news articles that stated more stores would be closed on Thanksgiving on 2019. I hunted down stories from 2018 about which stores would be closed then. The list was exactly the same! Lol

That said, I do believe the list is a lot more extensive this year.

A lot of stores have already announced they will not be open on Thanksgiving for "early" Black Friday sales.  A good thing, in my mind.

I have no problem avoiding the crowds on Black Friday - I haven't ever gone shopping that day.

There's really no reason for department stores to be open Thanksgiving night.

"But cops/paramedics have to work!" - your need to buy a TV is not an essential service.

"But employees could want the holiday pay!" - these stores rarely offer holiday pay, so this is another ploy to insist your need for a TV is essential.

I agree.

But then again, is football an essential aervice? Are parades an essential service? Is the news an essential service?

People take for granted what they consider acceptable for Thanksgiving, without giving mich thought to the thousands of people that are still working what are really unesssentual events.

[SEWIGuy]

A lot of stores have already announced they will not be open on Thanksgiving for "early" Black Friday sales.  A good thing, in my mind.

I have no problem avoiding the crowds on Black Friday - I haven't ever gone shopping that day.

There's really no reason for department stores to be open Thanksgiving night.

"But cops/paramedics have to work!" - your need to buy a TV is not an essential service.

"But employees could want the holiday pay!" - these stores rarely offer holiday pay, so this is another ploy to insist your need for a TV is essential.

Because they find it profitable to do so.  I mean, what other reason do they need?

[Max Rockatansky]

A lot of stores have already announced they will not be open on Thanksgiving for "early" Black Friday sales.  A good thing, in my mind.

I have no problem avoiding the crowds on Black Friday - I haven't ever gone shopping that day.

There's really no reason for department stores to be open Thanksgiving night.

"But cops/paramedics have to work!" - your need to buy a TV is not an essential service.

"But employees could want the holiday pay!" - these stores rarely offer holiday pay, so this is another ploy to insist your need for a TV is essential.

Because they find it profitable to do so.  I mean, what other reason do they need?

I mean we are taking about businesses that operate for a profit and not principle.  It shouldn't come as a shock that they might do anything that can to increase revenue and profits.  That's why I call "bullshit"  when I see things like the Lowe's Commercial in which they rant about safety being their number one priority.  I sincerely doubt safety is a greater concern than profitability for any retailer.  That's not to say that being unsafe doesn't carry with it the potential to chip away at net profit because it sure can, especially in a retail store. 

[SectorZ]

A lot of stores have already announced they will not be open on Thanksgiving for "early" Black Friday sales.  A good thing, in my mind.

I have no problem avoiding the crowds on Black Friday - I haven't ever gone shopping that day.

There's really no reason for department stores to be open Thanksgiving night.

"But cops/paramedics have to work!" - your need to buy a TV is not an essential service.

"But employees could want the holiday pay!" - these stores rarely offer holiday pay, so this is another ploy to insist your need for a TV is essential.

Because they find it profitable to do so.  I mean, what other reason do they need?

I mean we are taking about businesses that operate for a profit and not principle.  It shouldn't come as a shock that they might do anything that can to increase revenue and profits.  That's why I call "bullshit"  when I see things like the Lowe's Commercial in which they rant about safety being their number one priority.  I sincerely doubt safety is a greater concern than profitability for any retailer.  That's not to say that being unsafe doesn't carry with it the potential to chip away at net profit because it sure can, especially in a retail store.

Given how expensive worker's comp insurance and OSHA fines are, safety is a huge concern for every retailer. I watched Walmart fire multiple people in the 4 years I was there for violating safety protocol, including when no one got hurt.

Also chuckled at Lowe's characterization being a "rant".

[hbelkins]

Disposable income isn't really a thing for me, and I'm not a Prime member and I don't get out on Black Friday to shop, so I don't plan to buy anything.

As far as the crowds and the Coronavirus are concerned, Kentucky has dropped its restrictions on the number of people allowed into retail outlets (with the exception of restaurants and bars, which are still operating under both capacity limits and curfews). For a while back in the spring, various state and local executive orders restricted shopping to only one person per household. But the companies themselves are limiting the number of people allowed in stores at one time. At the non-supercenter Walmart in Jackson, for example, there have been several times I've had to stand in line outside to wait for customers to come out of the store before being allowed in. The company has kept that policy in place, and there are several other places I've been that have notices on the door saying they are restricting the number of customers allowed inside at one time. They're using a formula of so many people per x square feet, and I think it varies from chain to chain. It will be interesting to see how the various businesses deal with customer limits vs. maximum holiday sales, even if states don't reimpose limits.

[SEWIGuy]

A lot of stores have already announced they will not be open on Thanksgiving for "early" Black Friday sales.  A good thing, in my mind.

I have no problem avoiding the crowds on Black Friday - I haven't ever gone shopping that day.

There's really no reason for department stores to be open Thanksgiving night.

"But cops/paramedics have to work!" - your need to buy a TV is not an essential service.

"But employees could want the holiday pay!" - these stores rarely offer holiday pay, so this is another ploy to insist your need for a TV is essential.

Because they find it profitable to do so.  I mean, what other reason do they need?

I mean we are taking about businesses that operate for a profit and not principle.  It shouldn't come as a shock that they might do anything that can to increase revenue and profits.  That's why I call "bullshit"  when I see things like the Lowe's Commercial in which they rant about safety being their number one priority.  I sincerely doubt safety is a greater concern than profitability for any retailer.  That's not to say that being unsafe doesn't carry with it the potential to chip away at net profit because it sure can, especially in a retail store. 

I don't really understand what "principle" they are in violation of.  Being open on Thanksgiving?  There are plenty of people who aren't "essential workers" that work on Thanksgiving not to mention all sorts of other Holidays. 

Also it's hard for me to be upset about some violation of principle by retailers, when consumers are in violation of the same principle.

Thanksgiving just isn't as sacred as people make it out to be. 

[SEWIGuy]

Also, I think this year's Thanksgiving and Christmas are going to be very different for many.  We will not be doing the normal "family packed" holidays, but will be doing something quiet at home instead.  Packing dozens of people into a house is not a smart thing to do these days.

[Max Rockatansky]

A lot of stores have already announced they will not be open on Thanksgiving for "early" Black Friday sales.  A good thing, in my mind.

I have no problem avoiding the crowds on Black Friday - I haven't ever gone shopping that day.

There's really no reason for department stores to be open Thanksgiving night.

"But cops/paramedics have to work!" - your need to buy a TV is not an essential service.

"But employees could want the holiday pay!" - these stores rarely offer holiday pay, so this is another ploy to insist your need for a TV is essential.

Because they find it profitable to do so.  I mean, what other reason do they need?

I mean we are taking about businesses that operate for a profit and not principle.  It shouldn't come as a shock that they might do anything that can to increase revenue and profits.  That's why I call "bullshit"  when I see things like the Lowe's Commercial in which they rant about safety being their number one priority.  I sincerely doubt safety is a greater concern than profitability for any retailer.  That's not to say that being unsafe doesn't carry with it the potential to chip away at net profit because it sure can, especially in a retail store. 

I don't really understand what "principle" they are in violation of.  Being open on Thanksgiving?  There are plenty of people who aren't "essential workers" that work on Thanksgiving not to mention all sorts of other Holidays. 

Also it's hard for me to be upset about some violation of principle by retailers, when consumers are in violation of the same principle.

Thanksgiving just isn't as sacred as people make it out to be.

But to some people it is something they actually do cherish, I would count myself as one of them.  Thanksgiving probably the only day I can reliably count on spending time with a significant number of family members.  To that end I've been lucky that in all the years that I spent as a retail security manager that I never worked for a company that was open on Thanksgiving.  I know why retailers do it, they having a willing customer base that only really cares about getting a deal (and they are more so to blame for it even being a thing IMO).  But I can certainly sympathize with an employee who is missing out on being with family because they were scheduled for a shitty shift nor can take vacation between Veterans Day and a Christmas (which is when retailers usually black out vacations). 

Similarly Easter used to be largely be a day that was closed in the retail world until somewhat fairly recently also.  That was gradually chipped away at and it's no longer something people expect businesses to be closed on.  There seems to be a larger following of people who just don't want what they perceive as blight on Thanksgiving.  Then again maybe 20-30 years from now Thanksgiving will be looked at as just another retail day like Easter once was?...who knows?  I think the only reason people see Black Friday as notable is the bizarre hysterics that customers sometimes partake in which aren't all that common in reality (example; I haven't seen a fist fight in over fifteen years or someone trampled in seventeen).

But to your point your latter post, we plan on something smaller as well for Christmas.  We will likely only have immediate family members over and there probably won't be a ton or gift giving since a lot of them have been affected financially this year.  That said, the whole supposed point of the holiday is to spend time with family so having something small in scale isn't necessarily bad. 

[hbelkins]

Similarly Easter used to be largely be a day that was closed in the retail world until somewhat fairly recently also.  That was gradually chipped away at and it's no longer something people expect businesses to be closed on.

Attest. Back in 1994, I went to have Easter dinner with some relatives near Louisville. My watch battery had died, and I planned on dropping by Walmart on my way home to pick one up. I was surprised to see the target location's parking lot empty, and signs on the door stating they were closed for Easter. Now, it's a business-as-usual day.

[Scott5114]

I didn't participate in Christmas last year for lack of money, and will probably not do so for the same reason this year.

[GCrites]

I am not expecting Thanksgiving or Black Friday to be major days in retail this year. Black Friday was already approaching a "normal day" going all the way back to 2017 or even earlier, except workers had to wake up super early for no real reason after 2013. Thanksgiving was starting to become a big thing, but while you did have decent sales numbers, the amount of foot traffic was really out of hand as compared to the number of people actually buying things. It was just as much a bunch of druggie men in their 20s/30s and bored teenagers milling about in the malls avoiding family stuff as it was real customers spending. Wow did those druggies impulsively buy a lot of $2.99 Xbox (Original, 360 and One) games though. So I had to deal with 100 of them to add $300 in sales those Thanksgivings.

Anyway, the goal for retailers and malls should be to spread out the sales throughout the entire months of November and December, and I think that will be the case this year. No Thanksgiving and Black Friday treated as a normal day. Frankly, it should be like that every year. The first 3 weeks of November were total trash, then everyone would work their asses off/be stressed out/hate life on Thanksgiving/Black Friday, then that Saturday and Sunday would be a ghost town plus the week after that. If you make the same amount of sales with shorter hours, less overtime, and not paying people to stand in empty stores for that first three weeks of November with a more balanced schedule it is VERY preferable. Any business prefers steady income streams over boom and bust cycles.

It wasn't that long ago that Black Friday wasn't that big a deal, as recently as the late '80s. Maybe some stores opened at 8 or 9. Not fucking 6.

[hbelkins]

The first 3 weeks of November were total trash, then everyone would work their asses off/be stressed out/hate life on Thanksgiving/Black Friday, then that Saturday and Sunday would be a ghost town plus the week after that. If you make the same amount of sales with shorter hours, less overtime, and not paying people to stand in empty stores for that first three weeks of November with a more balanced schedule it is VERY preferable. Any business prefers steady income streams over boom and bust cycles.

Remember that "Black Friday" got its name because for many retailers, they operated in the red for the first 11.8 months of the year, and what I grew up knowing as "after-Thanksgiving sales" is what put them in the black for the year.

As for your comment on the calendar, it's been my experience that retail shopping is a disaster from Thanksgiving all the way until after Christmas. Every weekend, the stores are packed -- in fact, it's awful on weekdays as well; I'm to the point where I hate to go get essentials like cat or dog food at Walmart anytime in December because the store is going to be crammed full of people. The final weekend before Christmas is just as bad, or worse, than Black Friday in terms of crowded stores and full parking lots.

I'm just wondering if the chains will ease their store capacity limits for the holiday shopping season this year. I certainly don't have any desire to stand in a six-foot-distanced line outside in December weather to get in and purchase what I need. It's almost worth considering buying a month's worth of pet food, toiletries, etc., in mid-November just so I don't have to fool with that nonsense.

[kphoger]

I've never wanted to go shopping on Black Friday.  The one time I did, we were too late to buy what we were shopping for (an Easy Bake oven).  I believe my wife bought her wedding dress on Black Friday, but I didn't go shopping with her.  Her best friend went with her at dumb-early o'clock.

Honestly, we're never really shopping for the Latest Thing anyway.  We certainly are never in the market for that 60-inch LCD television or the latest iPhone or whatever.  We usually buy presents online–before or after Thanksgiving, whenever we think of it and can afford it.

While I often need to go to the grocery store on a holiday and appreciate them being open, I do feel conflicted whenever I have to pop down and buy something.  I'd really rather all the workers have the holiday off, but I also want my dish to come out right.

[GCrites]

The first 3 weeks of November were total trash, then everyone would work their asses off/be stressed out/hate life on Thanksgiving/Black Friday, then that Saturday and Sunday would be a ghost town plus the week after that. If you make the same amount of sales with shorter hours, less overtime, and not paying people to stand in empty stores for that first three weeks of November with a more balanced schedule it is VERY preferable. Any business prefers steady income streams over boom and bust cycles.

Remember that "Black Friday" got its name because for many retailers, they operated in the red for the first 11.8 months of the year, and what I grew up knowing as "after-Thanksgiving sales" is what put them in the black for the year.

As for your comment on the calendar, it's been my experience that retail shopping is a disaster from Thanksgiving all the way until after Christmas. Every weekend, the stores are packed -- in fact, it's awful on weekdays as well; I'm to the point where I hate to go get essentials like cat or dog food at Walmart anytime in December because the store is going to be crammed full of people. The final weekend before Christmas is just as bad, or worse, than Black Friday in terms of crowded stores and full parking lots.

I'm just wondering if the chains will ease their store capacity limits for the holiday shopping season this year. I certainly don't have any desire to stand in a six-foot-distanced line outside in December weather to get in and purchase what I need. It's almost worth considering buying a month's worth of pet food, toiletries, etc., in mid-November just so I don't have to fool with that nonsense.

The weekdays really aren't that big anymore, except for the last week before Chirstmas. A lot has changed since even 2016 regarding foot traffic at non-essential stores. It's not stores setting these limits, it's state and local government agencies using a formula. They are unlikely to be eased during the holidays.

If stores near you are still mega-slammed all holiday season after 2016, it means your area is under-retailed. Which isn't surprising since you live in Appalachia, a region that is historically under-retailed (especially in Kentucky, West Virginia, Western Virginia and East Tennessee).

I can't emphasize how much of a nothingburger Black Friday has become in the last 5 years. This is by design as much as it is by cultural shifts. People decided that kind of trampling and camping behavior was silly, and stores started making the sales less good and staggering them throughout the day and entire weekend -- including Thanksgiving Day and staying open all night.

[Pink Jazz]

I actually ordered my U by Moen Faucet this past week, since I was able to score $100 cashback for Lowe's from CouponCabin.  I am pretty sure this will beat any Prime Day or Black Friday deal on it, and my odds of getting a similar cashback deal around that time I think will be more difficult due to the demand.  I previously attempted to get similar deals from CouponCabin for Amazon and Home Depot but failed, but got lucky for Lowe's.

Going back to the original subject, we are also interested in a second monitor for our desktop.