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Activists trying to turn Black Friday into Buy Nothing Day have their work cut out for them when it comes to consumers like Tom Shea, who waited in line outside a midtown Manhattan Best Buy for 35 hours so he could be the first one inside when the store opened at 4am today. “"If they were selling it, we were buying it," Shea proudly told the Post. His attitude was far from unique; shopoholics like Shea mobbed New York’s stores starting at dawn this morning in what has become a ritualistic day-after-Thanksgiving frenzy of temporary discounts and sales promotions. (25%-50% discounts store wide at Macy’s! A Zune music player marked down from $199.99 to $79.99 at Toys “R” Us!)
Anecdotal evidence indicates that this year’s consumption has been as feverish as ever, with lines around the block at FAO Schwartz and mobbed department stores. But because of worries about a looming recession, retailers were luring in shoppers with bigger discounts than usual. Nationwide, consumer spending is expected to increase, but at a substantially lower rate than last year. Retail consultant Robert Passikoff told The Daily News that “the drop will reflect lower consumer confidence, with ‘people drawing the wagons in a circle’ and waiting to see what happens to them financially.”
You wouldn’t know it from the mob scene on Fifth Avenue, though. Some bargain hunters even kicked off Black Friday yesterday, when the unseasonably warm weather encouraged shoppers to venture forth and throw some money around. So how confident has your consumption been today? Are you Buying Nothing or Everything?
Photo of the first Macy's shoppers at 6am this morning by Casey Kelbaugh.
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I bought a wii..I couldn't resist.
buy nothing day is retarded. it's also promoted by a canadian firm (Adbusters) and if memory serves me right, canada does not have a black friday cause their thanksgiving is in october.
actually, what's retarded is how the holidays have become synonomous with materialism. yeah yeah, this is a tired statement/point of view, but it is sickening to watch people line up and rush stores to buy any manner of useless crap because they might get a 'good deal.' buy buy buy. do your economy a favor; get out there and purchase. so depressing. and yes, before anyone says it, i fully understand that this is the u.s. and if i don't like it, i can leave. that said, capitalism isn't specific to the u.s., but a disgusting display of material greed certainly appears to be.
wow the droog. you sound like a blast to be around on the holidays. i bet you're the kind of guy who would give a sweater to his nephew instead of an xbox to teach him the value of things that totally suck.
yeah Matty, you're a shining example for folks too, being a caustic jerk insulting strangers in the internet.
god forbid someone doesn't dig the buyathon of thanksgiving. before you attack me too i'm of no opinion, i just thought your reply was exceptionally rude and, i'm assuming, something you'd never say to someone in person.
matty, i have no problem with the holidays. i enjoy them quite a bit, as i get to spend time with my family. i just don't see the need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on what is, for the most part, crap. and based on most of the comments you leave on this site, i bet you're a blast to be around in general.
I like to shop without any regard to buy anything. It's much better to enjoy the misery of people who have been up since 3 in the morning in the bitter cold waiting on line to save a oouple of bucks on some crap that they didn't need and that would go on sale in a couple of months anyway. I bought a wii months ago so I'm good. It's actually really therapeutic. It's like when Ed Norton went to cancer meetings to feel better about himself. Try It
"What do we want? Nothing! When do we want it? Now!"
Most of the things on sale on Black Friday are junk anyways. People shop for the sake of shopping and its stupid. If you don't need it, don't buy it.
It's funny how some people put more effort into running into the store than working hard and getting a well paying job. Not saying everyone is like this of course...but just a thought. =)
"The things you own end up owning you."
"It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."
buy nothing day!
those door-buster deals all have *'s next to them
(one per store, 12 per store etc.)
those people lining up and charging open doors are fools.
buy nothing,
The deals during these early birds specials are usually old outdated stuff, which probably they cannot sell to begin with.
It's sad how Americas think the holidays is all about spending until you're in debt for the rest of the year.
This time of the year should be about being happy for what we have and being thankful you're family and friends are still alive for another year.
"This time of the year should be about being happy for what we have and being thankful you're family and friends are still alive for another year"
that's all swell and all but give me an xbox too.