Black Friday: Pros & Cons

Friday 29th November 2019. Does that date mean anything to you? Ring any bells? For those whose ears don't prick up at the mention of this date, Friday 29th is in fact Black Friday, the 24 hours during which frenzied shoppers will stop at nothing to get their hands on a bargain or two. Black Friday officially commences the season of Christmas shopping, offering customers discounts on selected items, just to make Christmas shopping that bit more bearable and kinder to your wallet.

Although Black Friday is like Christmas come early for those eager bargain hunters among us, it's absolutely necessary that we as customers remain vigilant and almost sceptical about the price slashes that many companies offer, as sometimes they may seem slightly too good to be true. 

In this post I will be going through the pros and cons of this glorious shopping day, just to encourage everyone who is planning on buying their christmas presents to think twice about being tempted by sumptious bargains, as sometimes it's nothing but a mere marketing ploy (trust me, I have studied many marketing courses at uni and feel fully equipped to be sharing this advice).

Pros
Let's kick things off on a positive note now, shall we? 

1. You Can Save Money
Who doesn't like having a little extra money to spare? If you answer no, then we all know you're fibbing so you may as well just admit it. Black Friday is all about scoring deals on your Christmas shopping, so spending less on each item will mean you have more money left over to buy more/extra presents for your loved, splash out of fancy-schmancy wrapping or even buy yourself this years' Christmas party outfit without having to fork out more cash!

2. Shops Are Open For Longer
Retailers will often have extended opening hours on Black Friday, just to satisfy customer needs and increase their foot traffic as much as possible. This acts as a fabulous advantage for those who may have other commitments (um... like a job?) during the day to get their shopping done when the sun has gone down and you have more time on your hands.

3. Cyber Monday
Thanks to the technological revolution that has engulfed our world, Black Friday is succeeded by Cyber Monday, where all of the deals move online so that the savvy, e-commerce fanatics out there can get their fix of the bargains. For those who prefer to conduct their shopping on line, the following Monday offers a great opportunity to score some bargains from the comfort of your own home (so you can put your claw sharpener away) and peruse through the pages and pages of deals quietly and dignified. In addition, prices tend to be even lower the following Monday as retailers endeavour to shift as much stock as possible.

4. Giveaway Opportunities
Some retailers practise their Christmas spirit a little early and offer Black Friday customers giveaways, competition prizes, extra coupons or maybe even a bottle of water to avoid you fainting from enduring the long queues.

Cons

1. Bargain's May Not Be What They See
Now, I know that it's very easy to get extremely excited when seeing discount labels and sale stickers on many items, however, we can't be naive to the fact that these promotions may just be a marketing tactic on the brand's behalf. In fact, many retailers will increase their prices just before Black Friday so that when the day arrives and the price tag is lower than the "original price", it will appear to be a great deal. However, this doesn't mean that you're actually getting the product for cheaper than it's actual value - so maybe just take a pensive moment or two to assess whether the price slash seems legitimate enough.

2. Claws Out For The Crowd
Battling crowds is not anyone's favourite way to spend their Friday, as I'm sure we are all nodding our heads unanimously at this statement. However, crowds are inevitable on Black Friday, as there are many people in this world who want to snap up a good deal, and what better time than just before Christmas? So, if you're wanting to go to your local high street this Black Friday, you better sharpen your claws and perfect your "weaving through crowds" technique to ensure you stay on two feet and with your dignity still intact.

3. Superflous Shopping
When we see a deal, it's like we get a rush of dopamine in our system that urges us to make the purchase, just in the name of scoring a good bargain. However, this can tempt people to make purchases they just don't need and will likely regret buying. Refrain from making purchases based on the fact they have a big red sale sticker. 

4. A Consumerist Society
For those of us who like to take things a little deeper and think about human influence and existential impact, Black Friday may seem to be a bit of a sad tradition for our planet, because it's essentially a day dedicated to shopping, consuming and accumulating more "stuff"; all elements which contribute to consumerism and quite frankly, greed. The festive season centres around the theme of sharing, generosity and "giving back", and given the dire state of out environment (and lets face it, our politics, too), it may be more useful not to partake in Black Friday this year and instead focus on being more sustainable and not buying things that fundamentally, we just don't need.

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