It's that time again
Good Thursday morning to everyone. Or, should I say, early Black Friday?
That's right, friends, it's already Black Friday, and I haven't even had turkey yet (though I did prepare chicken last night). The retail industry finally figured out that they might sell more products if they go ahead and start their sales early a couple of years ago, so now the television blares announcements about Black Friday sales here and there.
Think about this....we're not that far removed from the novelty of stores opening early the Friday after Thanksgiving. Now they're offering drastic discounts roughly a month BEFORE that holiday! Consumers rejoice, right?
Not quite. Experts have long said that many of the "deals" to be had on Black Friday and Thanksgiving evening are not that attractive, and while they create traffic, they don't necessarily offer significant discounts on the latest and greatest items that we want for our loved ones and ourselves. Seems that someone analyzed the actual models of televisions that were marked down for the occasion last year and found that in most cases they were not the current versions of those products.
I honestly don't know what to even say about the state of retailing these days. Rarely do we make a major purchase without extensive internet research and, in many cases, placing an online order rather than buying it from a store. Time was, you'd buy stuff from people who could also provide service if something went wrong. Now the service aspect is such a rarity that it matters little where you buy your new whatever.
Recently I read an online article about a phenomenon called "showrooming," wherein people go to retail stores to see and play with a given item (let's say a tablet, for example), get some input from a salesperson, and then go home and buy it online from an entirely different organization. I've done this, but didn't realize there was a name for it.
My wife, on the other hand, is a traditionalist. When we bought her a new iPhone 8 Plus recently, do you think we went to the cellular carrier's retail store? Or an electronics store?
No. We went to the Apple Store. And were treated with their usual care and appreciation. But that's my wife's approach. If I want a GE microwave, and there's a GE store, that's where I should go. But I could certainly go on about the current state of retailing and how I now prefer to go online to buy most things, as the people selling them are often woefully underinformed about the products or services that they represent (as mentioned here recently, Apple is a notable exception to this). Unless it's a clothing item and there might be a question of whether it will fit, online works just fine in my opinion.
As always, buyer beware....
We already have neighbors who have decorated their homes for Christmas, too. One young family just up the street has a little one at home and so they went all out on the outdoor decor this year. I've spotted a handful of indoor Christmas trees, too....and let's hope they're the artificial type!
We're still thinking about Thanksgiving, as my wife and I came to the realization last night that we have not discussed where we're having our family feast or what we're having! Lexington has lots of places to buy turkey and sides, so I'm not all that worried. I may have mentioned this in this space previously, but growing up my family opted for ham more than turkey (never did figure that one out) and so I relish (pardon the pun) the opportunity for a traditional turkey dinner. And lucky me, I work for a company that is completely closed on the day after Thanksgiving, so I'll enjoy the holiday more than last year!
So it won't be long before we're writing Christmas cards, wrapping presents and sharing holiday cheer, but at least we'll have the chance to give thanks to our many blessings beforehand.
That's right, friends, it's already Black Friday, and I haven't even had turkey yet (though I did prepare chicken last night). The retail industry finally figured out that they might sell more products if they go ahead and start their sales early a couple of years ago, so now the television blares announcements about Black Friday sales here and there.
Think about this....we're not that far removed from the novelty of stores opening early the Friday after Thanksgiving. Now they're offering drastic discounts roughly a month BEFORE that holiday! Consumers rejoice, right?
Not quite. Experts have long said that many of the "deals" to be had on Black Friday and Thanksgiving evening are not that attractive, and while they create traffic, they don't necessarily offer significant discounts on the latest and greatest items that we want for our loved ones and ourselves. Seems that someone analyzed the actual models of televisions that were marked down for the occasion last year and found that in most cases they were not the current versions of those products.
I honestly don't know what to even say about the state of retailing these days. Rarely do we make a major purchase without extensive internet research and, in many cases, placing an online order rather than buying it from a store. Time was, you'd buy stuff from people who could also provide service if something went wrong. Now the service aspect is such a rarity that it matters little where you buy your new whatever.
Recently I read an online article about a phenomenon called "showrooming," wherein people go to retail stores to see and play with a given item (let's say a tablet, for example), get some input from a salesperson, and then go home and buy it online from an entirely different organization. I've done this, but didn't realize there was a name for it.
My wife, on the other hand, is a traditionalist. When we bought her a new iPhone 8 Plus recently, do you think we went to the cellular carrier's retail store? Or an electronics store?
No. We went to the Apple Store. And were treated with their usual care and appreciation. But that's my wife's approach. If I want a GE microwave, and there's a GE store, that's where I should go. But I could certainly go on about the current state of retailing and how I now prefer to go online to buy most things, as the people selling them are often woefully underinformed about the products or services that they represent (as mentioned here recently, Apple is a notable exception to this). Unless it's a clothing item and there might be a question of whether it will fit, online works just fine in my opinion.
As always, buyer beware....
We already have neighbors who have decorated their homes for Christmas, too. One young family just up the street has a little one at home and so they went all out on the outdoor decor this year. I've spotted a handful of indoor Christmas trees, too....and let's hope they're the artificial type!
We're still thinking about Thanksgiving, as my wife and I came to the realization last night that we have not discussed where we're having our family feast or what we're having! Lexington has lots of places to buy turkey and sides, so I'm not all that worried. I may have mentioned this in this space previously, but growing up my family opted for ham more than turkey (never did figure that one out) and so I relish (pardon the pun) the opportunity for a traditional turkey dinner. And lucky me, I work for a company that is completely closed on the day after Thanksgiving, so I'll enjoy the holiday more than last year!
So it won't be long before we're writing Christmas cards, wrapping presents and sharing holiday cheer, but at least we'll have the chance to give thanks to our many blessings beforehand.
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