Dirty secrets of Black Friday 'doorbusters'

[mcablue]

CNN Money, 11-20-09

Here's a Black Friday reality check: Of the hordes of pre-dawn shoppers who line up for hours outside stores on the day after Thanksgiving, most will not bag the best bargains that appear in merchants' circulars.

Look at the fine print that appears next to an advertised "doorbuster deal" at the bottom of the page in this year's circulars.

It will either say "While supplies last," "Minimum 2 per store," "No rainchecks" or "All items are available in limited quantities." A quick scan through a few of this year's Black Friday circulars show quantities as low as a "minimum of 5 per store" on some models of large plasma and HDTVs and popular brands of home appliances such as a washer-dryer pair.

link to whole story.
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Read that fineprint in those fliers.

[hobbit709]

1. That small print has been there for years-nothing new.

[csziggy]

3. Yes, but the crowds have not learned the lesson that most deals are loss leaders

Intended to work them into a shopping frenzy.

[hobbit709]

6. That's because they only see the picture and the price.

[csziggy]

25. And they don't check to see if they can get it cheaper somewhere else

Like a local store that is trying to compete or at an internet site where they do not have to get up at some ungodly hour and can order at their leisure.

I've found Black Friday sale items cheaper both ways - I LOVE finding the items at a local store, if I can be sure the local merchant is not uncutting their bottom line too much.

[mcablue]

4. A lot of people don't read fineprint

I do. But people have to be made aware of the misleading practice of writing something in teeny tiny fonts in order to make great profit.

[liberal N proud]

10. What great profit

Yeah, the door buster deals are designed to get you into the store, but most of the black friday shoppers are looking for specific deals and are not going to shop the rest of the store. They try and get as many of the door buster specials as possible then leave.

The companies cut the profits to very little if not at a loss to get the customers in their store, so where is the profit.

[Sinti]

2. Boycott Black Friday

And welcome to DU mcablue :hi:

[napi21]

5. I've NEVER gone to a BF sale!I can't think of a single thing that

would be worth my time, aggrivation & possibly my health & safety to go to one of those things!

[left coaster]

9. Same here.. never been to one.. never will..

I'm sorry, but stupid is, as stupid does, in this case..

Though I do feel sorry for the retail workers who have to endure the throngs of crazed shoppers in the stores on Black Friday..

[RebelOne]

12. Been to just one and that is because it was at Toys R Us

for a Xmas gift for my grandson. And believe me, that is the last one I will ever go to. Slept in my clothes so that I could get up at 5 a.m. to be at the toy store door at 6. Was about the 50th in line. Fortunately, I was able to score on the toy.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

13. I tried it once....

showed up an hour before the store opened and saw (not kidding) at least 300-400 people standing in line ahead of me (While Supplies Last).

I turned around in the parking lot. Went home. Went back to bed.

[shanti]

22. you got that right!

i basically don't shop from black friday thru about january 10th or so. i hate crowds, especially shopping hordes.

[Initech]

24. I will never participate in Black Friday.

The shitstorm that goes on in stores is absolutely insane. Considering last year's Black Friday featured a death toll of 3 (only in America :eyes: ), I do not want to participate in that crap.

[liberal N proud]

7. There is nothing new about the quantities

I will also dispel the employees get first picks before anyone puts that out there.

If they have to work the Black Friday rush, then they need to have someone shop for them to get the deals. TRUST ME ON THIS!

[Warpy]

8. Oh, everybody knows that already

which is why people get trampled when the stores open on Black Friday. They all want to be the first to sprint in to get one of those two loss leader items.

[mcablue]

23. Does everyone know about the derivatives?

From the article: "Some of the holiday electronics with those low sale prices are derivatives, models that have a few less features than a standard model in that product line, said Dworsky.

The difference can be subtle. "The image contrast ratio might be 20,000 in a derivative model versus 30,000 in a standard model," he said. "Most consumers probably won't even notice the difference."

[luvspeas]

11. Just say no....n/t

[liberal_at_heart]

14. I have gotten some great deals at JCPenny on Black Friday

but my kids have outgrown their style. Neither one of my kids really likes JCPenny clothes anymore, so I have to hunt for bargains elsewhere usually Target or Ross or sometimes if prices are low enough I will go to a department store like Macy's. My daughter needs a winter coat. All she has right now is a couple of light jackets. I think we may use Black Friday to try and find her a winter coat.

[seabeyond]

15. i have never shopped day after.... put up xmas decorations, but never shopped that day

silliness

[MattBaggins]

19. I went all the way to Germany to get me a wife

and she went all American on me. She and one of her friends got up at 4am for that crap. Tried to get me to go to Best Buy but no way I am going to get up that early to fight throngs of people.

Love her dearly but she doesn't learn. Coming from New York I learned at an early age to question what street vendors and flea market folks have for sale. When we were still in Germany, she went to the Czech Republic with her sister and came back with DVDs that didn't work and some chinaware that was cracked, chipped and mis-painted. She told me how good the display ones looked. Had to explain to her that what's on display isn't always what's in the box.

I had to learn my lesson the hard way as well though. Bought a video recorder from a guy on the street. It was filled with wet newspapers and fresh shrink wrap on it.

[seabeyond]

21. bah hahaha. women shoppers world wide. lol lol. and you thought it a national thing

not. lol

i hate shopping. lots of women love it. some men do. i did so much of shopping on net last year. gonna do more this year. so i may be shopping on that friday, lol lol, just not out and about.

funny your wife.

if she were perfect though, you wouldnt have anything to giggle with her about.

[AllentownJake]

16. You'll have better sales the day after Christmas this year

Other than the week after Thanksgiving....it is going to be a bad season for retailers and they are going to have inventory to dump on December 26th. I buy all my clothes for the year the day after Christmas at one local department store.

That being said, looking at the Christmas decoration section of my local Target and Home Depot. There is less shit in there than in 2008.

[gratuitous]

17. They spend gazillions on advertising for one reason only

Because it works.

[benld74]

18. SEARS got hurt bad last year by their ad,,,

500 for Front loading Kenmore washer AND dryer. They got swamped. We ordered the pair since ours were over 10 years old. Others ordered the pair because they needed a washer and dryer. We did not get our until March of THIS year.

[prolesunited]

20. Wanna really save money?

Don't go shopping.

[keroro gunsou]

26. the big print giveth

the small print taketh away.