My post-Thanksgiving shopping reflection
How was this past Thanksgiving weekend for everyone? Did you spend more dollars or consume more calories?
Here are a few of my personal observations on shopping during Thanksgiving/Black Friday 2009:
1. Good deals were available throughout the week.
As big of an event Black Friday is, it's definitely spilling over to the other days of the week. Deals were happening as early as Monday, which makes getting up pre-5am even more silly year after year.
2. In addition to all-day sales, I noticed more merchants offered deals that were available only during specific hours.
Most of the deals weren't earth-shattering, but urgency does have a way of moving product. Still, missing out on even a decent/modest/good deal may encourage quicker trigger-pulls in the future. With deals still happening left and right, however, it's also good to have some patience as the next one is likely just around the corner.
3. Cyber Monday is becoming a much more tangible phenomenon.
Though the term was coined a few years ago, it was little more than a joke or gimmick back then. I definitely saw (read: got spammed by) more merchants hopping on the bandwagon this year. This was also the first year that Apple gave Cyber Monday its blessing, offering discounts that managed to surpass even their traditionally meager Black Friday price shavings in a crushing display of mediocrity. Despite the increased participation from merchants, however, it seems like the best deals have either passed or are yet to come.
The best news is...nobody got trampled to death this year!
