Strollerderby : black friday

Would You Give Gifts Bought At Wal-Mart Where Man Died?

JeanneSager — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:01:00 GMT

Even the most die hard Black Friday shopper had the good grace to stop talking deals when the news of a man trampled to death by shoppers at a Long Island Wal-Mart started hitting the airwaves.

What about those shoppers? Are they in their attics right now, wrapping the results of consumer greed gone horribly wrong? Do people actually feel good giving their kids ill-gotten gifts?

Maybe I'm just not one to ask. I have never been the "up at three a.m., out the door by four" shopper. I have taken extremely well to the push toward Cyber Monday over Black Friday, even if my mega-deal is swallowed in part by a shipping charge. I like to think I can be savvy without being swallowed whole by commercialism. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy a good deal as much as the next mother trying to make ends meet.

But isn't there a time when a deal is just too good? Must have fallen off the truck good? I mean, it's one thing to buy the kids a fleece with a ripped tag . . . another to buy them a box of "Tunka" trucks from the vendor on the street corner. Some people say what the kids don't know won't hurt them. But as parents, you know. Whether it's a game console purchased the day a man died or a pile of games picked up from a shady street dealer, there gift that's supposed to bring kids such happiness has already been marked by incredible sadness. I couldn't do it.

Could you?

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They Say: Black Friday Will Be Gray

Brett Singer — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT

So, like, will there be good deals this year or not? Inquiring minds want to know.

CNET talked to some experts in the field of bargain-hunting who offered a few tips for consumers. For example, Daniel de Grandpre of Dealnews suggests patronizing regional outlets such as MicroCenter and Fry's Electronics rather than Best Buy or Circuit City.

While there is definitely money to be saved by savvy shoppers who like to get up at 5am and hit the mall, it may also be possible to get the same deals by staying home and shopping online. Even brick and mortar stores are offering "web only specials". Kmart's "Early Black Friday" deals started on November 2, and CNET says that "some retailers are doing Black Friday month specials." Online-only outlets like Amazon.com have been pushing their Black Friday specials for several days now. So you might not even have to wait until Friday to get the stuff that you want.

One thing I've noticed is a certain desperate feeling among retailers. For example, I got this email from CompUSA a couple of days ago. Then I got it again. And again. They want to make damn sure I know what they've got on sale. Toys R Us has been sending at least one sale-trumpeting email per day for the past two weeks. And Amazon let users vote on which products they wanted discounted.

If polls are to be believed, retailer's feelings of potential doom may be justified: CNET cites a Consumer Electronics Association polls that says "consumers...plan to spend $200 less on the holidays" this year.

One bit of good news, I guess. If you do plan on shopping, whether on Black Friday or some other time, you'll probably get more for your money than you would if the economy were more robust. That's something I suppose.

Source: CNET

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Are You Cutting Back This Holiday Season?

Brett Singer — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:00:00 GMT

In case you haven't heard, the economy has been doing its imitation of David Caruso's career before he got a part on CSI: Miami (and if anyone can tell me what show that line is from, I will be impressed because it's pretty random). Which begs the question: are you going to spend less this year than you have in the past?

TodaysMama.com released the results of their survey, which says that a whopping "85 percent of moms plan to cut holiday spending due to economic conditions." (I guess all of the dads were too busy playing fantasy football and visiting strip clubs to participate in the survey. I kid.)

From the press release:

SALT LAKE CITY.– November 24, 2008 – TodaysMama.com today announced the results of their 2008 Holiday Economic Survey, revealing that 85% of Moms across the United States are trimming their holiday budgets due to concern about the long-term economic outlook. Of those, 14% plan to cut holiday spending by an astounding 75%, and 32% will cut holiday spending by 50%. The survey, which included 1050 respondents, also found that 62% of Moms do not plan to shop on Black Friday, and 66% believe it will take two to three years for the economy to recover.

So – moms, dads, and everyone else – how about you? Will gifts be closer to "a package of socks" rather than "a flat-screen television"? (Nothing wrong with that, by the way. I could use some new socks.) Are you planning to cut back on your spending this year?

source: TodaysMama.com

image: CCTV Blog

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Babble's Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide

Brett Singer — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Thanksgiving may not have happened yet, but that doesn't mean you can't start your holiday shopping. Babble has an extensive Holiday Gift Guide that could be a huge help.

If you're picking up something for a person who loves them some handcrafted gifts, go handmade with these adorable $12 Sheep Mittens (they're only shaped like sheep, they don't smell like them) or a non-Disney Mermaid Doll ($30).

Entertainment suggestions include the Peanuts Holiday DVD Collection (Audio Visual), and the still cool even though it's old school View-Master (see Stocking Stuffers). And with the economy doing its best Tom Petty imitation ("Free fallin', yes I'm, Free fallin'…"), check out the helpful Gifts Under 20 Dollars section.

There are tons of categories to check out, each with lots of ideas for everyone from babies to babysitters. Check it out here.

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Will Black Friday Deals Be Good This Year?

Brett Singer — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:00:00 GMT

When the economy stinks, sometimes you can count on stores lowering their prices in an effort to entice customers to part with some of their hard-earned cash. Business Week reports that sales figures are down everywhere. So on Friday November 28 – the day after Thanksgiving, aka "Black Friday" – stuff should be even cheaper than usual, right?

Maybe not. According to Engadget, Walmart's deals are looking pretty lame, at least the so-called "doorbuster" early morning specials. Specifically, they mention "the already-discounted Magnavox Blu-ray player drops from $198 to $128…50-inch Samsung plasma of unspecified resolution is only $798 (720p, bet on it), and Xbox 360 + Guitar Hero III & wireless guitar pack…for $199." Also mentioned are "a $398 HP desktop PC and $175 gas grill." In other words, if you had your heart set on a new TV or the kids are begging for Guitar Hero/Rock Band/Other Fake Music Video Game, you might be able to get as good a deal online. So far, there's nothing really worth getting up early for, shopping-wise.

We'll have to wait and see if the other stores follow suit or cut prices even more drastically in an effort to get at least SOMEBODY to consume more conspicuously than they were initially planning on doing.

Source: Engadget

Strollerderby : black friday

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