to feel enormously irritated by 'black friday'

[holdyourown]

I mean what even is it. Yet more US imported nonsense imo

It's just made cyber Monday a whole weekend really.. Makes my dh's work place very busy as they do shipments to Amazon. Nobody is allowed time off incase the system crashes/pickets mess up/delivery companies coning and going every few minutes. It's madness and now he gets an extra day of it every year. Although ithe Rush helps employment for a few weeks our local Amazon have just taken on a few thousand new temp employees

It's annoying me too.
For me it will have to opposite effect from the one they want, I will not be rushing into stores, I'll be avoiding them all together.
I have no wish to be squished by people hoping for a bargain.

daftest ad I've seen came up on my Facebook sidebar, it was for caravans, yeh I'm going to rush out and buy one on impulse coz it's Black Friday

Sainsburys have ordered electrical goods in especially, they are doing a 50% sales, I genuinely need some stuff as I have moved house so have my eyes on a Dyson that will be 50% off.

I am a bit cynical about is all too but this year will actually get to make the most of it.

Sainsburys are doing 25% off clothing from Tuesday.

will the shops be packed tomorrow? I was planning on doing some shopping in town but will avoid if its likely to be hideous!

Yanbu. I'm also a bit irritated by lots of people - British people - on Twitter today wishing me a Happy Thanksgiving.

Black Friday got its name because one year on the day after the Thanksgiving holiday in US it was very busy on the roads with shoppers and there were lots of accidents. The emergency services commented that it had been a "Black Friday."

Nice excuse to do more shopping then.

oh no how long do we give it then before people start making thanksgiving a 'thing' here too?
tethersend exactly what you said
also - it's just made cyber monday a whole weekend eh?

I'm British but live in the US. There is no way on earth I'm going shopping tomorrow - it will be hell on earth. I feel sorry for the staff in the shops - Starbucks and Wholefoods are open today, same as any other. Lots of places start Black Friday tonight too - not a very Happy Thanksgiving when you have to work and aren't allowed to join a union (owner of Wholefoods, take note!).

I'm not cynical about any sale. If they got what I need at a price that makes me happy I don't care what they call it.

They can call it the polka dot lime and raspberry cunty bonanazthon Tuesday for all I care, I'm still in if they've got something on the Santa letter at a decent discount to usual costs.

the worst is Debenhams, up to 30% off!!! e mail I've just had, oh wait theres a * and its selected items only...whats new

Like most cultural nonsense from the USA, Black Friday is bullshit. Along with Hallowe'en and school proms. Sadly I predict that Thanksgiving will be the next Yank 'must do' to arrive in Britain.

None of the above is helped by the attitudes of British media and retail. And the bloody schools. Why can't we be British in this country instead of wannabe Americans ?

Another American here, I hate Black Friday. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it is a lovely day to visit with family, cook delicious food and celebrate together with people you care about. All this focus on spend, spend, spend overshadows a holiday that is (or used to be) truly American. If I were British, I wouldn't welcome the import of that nonsense either.

Also, every year there are reports that show whatever you got up at 3am and trampled over fifty other people to buy on BF is cheaper at some point in the run-up to Christmas anyway.

I don't know anyone who would even notice it was thanksgiving let alone celebrate it. It's just the shops trying to make out it's a 'thing' so gullible people will buy more turkeys etc.

How does it affect you if you just ignore it?

I think this year was the first time I've noticed Black Friday being used as an advertising concept in the UK (I've posted on a lot of American talkboards over the years so I was aware of what it means). I was in town today and BHS had huge Black Friday posters in all the windows and reductions in most sections inside. The daft thing is they're already reducing all the Christmas stuff!

I wish we had the American tradition of not having anything Christmassy around until this point in November though. I'm usually a bit bored with Christmas by the time it actually comes.

Don't buy then. I am hoping apple do a good deal as I want to buy an iPad anyway so any discount is always good!

It passes me by really but I did feel rather depressed last year when I heard most likely on MN about people in asda getting actual injuries because of people fighting over the last cheap item.

I got annoyed when the person on the radio talking about Black Friday started off saying "Thanksgiving isn't as big a thing in Britain.." Of course it's not a big thing here! It's an American holiday. Nothing to do with Britain.

Erm..Halloween is not American.

That's all.

If it's any consolation I'm in France and there is lots of "vendredi noir" stuff going on, so it's not just in the UK.

I won't be playing any part in it. Going to work as usual but I'm damn glad I don't work in retail.

Just the American version of Boxing Day sales, can't see the problem really. Good for the consumer.

I understand the irritation, particularly as there's no context here as there is in the US. That said, as a consequence of retailers reacting the way they have I haven't paid full price for a single Christmas gift. I have bought exactly what I had planned to, and am at least £150 in pocket.

YANBU

and shops will be rammed because of all the thick sheeple thinking they are going to get the bargain of a lifetime so will be a nightmare trying to just do basic shopping ie food as shops will be heaving with rude twats pushing and shoving

I do Mrs and it's going to be a mental weekend. I can't say I'm looking forward to it.

Just back from Asda, there was a mile of metal barriers outside the doors in a zig zag ready to control the masses !!!!! I won't be there or at the shops at all.