Is it because of the dismally long lines? The grim faces of the shoppers? Because this day tends to bring out the most aggression in people? Because the want for material things overshadows the whole purpose of the Holiday Season?
Actually, it’s called Black Friday because that’s the day many of the nation’s retailers traditionally begin to turn a profit for the year! So from the standpoint of the retailer, this used to be a day to rake in the cash and breath a sigh of relief.
But not so in recent years…
The Internet has steadily chipped away at the “sure thing” retailers call Black Friday. Because consumers can get what they want from the comfort of their own homes and without the aggravation many associate with the first shopping day after Thanksgiving, many have opted to do the majority of their shopping online. According the the Purdue Retail Institute, Internet Sales were about 6% of the total annual retail sales in 2006, which amounts to between $12 and $13 Billion of the $223 Billion of holiday sales. That number is expected to climb in 2007.
Personally, I have had a lot more positive experiences with some of my online purchases than with local businesses, so it’s pretty hard for me to feel too sorry for any traditional retailer who loses business to Amazon or Ebay. That’s not to say my business couldn’t be won back, but nobody’s bothered to ask me why I left! I am the customer, after all, and the customer IS the answer!
So you can expect your present from me to arrive via UPS in an Amazon box this year!
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