when is 'black friday'? Or whatever its called?

[BeckerLleytonNever]

so I can avoid going out, like the plague.

didn't know last year and it was a nightmare.

AIBU to boycott it?

is it worth the pushing and punching just for 10% off something when thre are always sales going on all year?

Think it's the last Friday in November?

Friday 27 Nov. I know this as it is the weekend my sister is coming to do Xmas shopping. We planned it badly!

Might just go to Asda as they are nt doing it!

27th November

It's on November 27th.
You should be ok to go out . Asda aren't doing it instore, apparently it wasn't profitable last year. Don't know about other shops though. If you want a bargain you're better off doing it online.

It's the day after American Thanksgiving which is always the 4th Thursday in November.
Don't forget Cyber Monday which has started early in the last few years. I just bought a kindle paperwhite and an ipod nano $30 off and $50 off online in the last few days.

The scenes i saw online and on tv last year on Black Friday were disgusting.

And from what i remember shop assistants got hurt.

Because people give each other black eyes in a scramble to nab a cut price telly.

Can we give it back to the US?

It's like anything....the media focuses on things that get people watching/reading the media. It's no different than reality tv shows, or rubber necking when you pass an accident on the freeway. Don't watch and you won't feed the machine.

Sofia not watching it wouldnt have stopped people getting hurt like those shop assistants.....if we all turned our tvs and computers off tonight would that stop all the wars.

Im talking about the people who got hurt and the employers who expected them to suck it up.

I'm working...in a shop

Its a naice clothes shop though so maybe it won't be too bad

Helena, yes actually it would. Black Friday is not like a war. The stores use the fervor surrounding it as advertisements. If nobody is watching the advertisements, they will find other ways to ply their wares. Anyway, I'm not quite sure why you think the shop assistants who got hurt were not compensated (not that that makes injuring them acceptable).

Ah Sofia I see what you mean re advertising but it is unacceptable that any shop assistant should even have to face a small possibility of being hurt at work. Any store taking part in this kind of farce should not be taking risks with the safety of their employees.

Not thinking that its ok as long as they bung them a few extra quid afterwards.

I think it's a shame that a few people who behave like animals have to spoil it for the rest of us and make sales assistants afraid to go into work when it happens.

I got some excellent bargains online last Black Friday.

Shopping online is as close as I get to Black Friday!

Is it actually cheaper? I thought they are just increasing the price in the run up to it, then slash them on the day, is that so?

Online on Black Friday is good, I usually stalk Amazon and the lightening deals, that how I got Ds a laptop for Christmas one year and then Dh got a GPS another year.
Don't go near the shops it's carnage.

I am battle-hardened. I went to Aldi on school uniform carnage day.

An outdoor store in the US, REI, is actually closing on that day and asking other firms to take part.

They want their staff and customers to remember why the store is in business, to get outdoors and enjoy yourself. #optoutside is their hashtag, it's gaining quite a movement

Good for Asda for not doing it again, I say. Oh, the Humanity.....

BMW6 Asda aren't doing it to be good. It wasn't profitable for them, because people only went for the loss leaders (the cheap tvs, etc) and didn't stick around to buy anything else like food.
Apparently the whole thing adversely affected business in the run up to Christmas, as well. I'm not a business expert, but I think it's because we have a different spending pattern to the US, so it might not be the best business model.
Online sales did fantastic though, so.that's probably the way to go.
I agree with helenadove. Shop assistants getting hurt is totally unacceptable. I remember a few years ago a poor guy was crushed to death in America. Disgusting behaviour. The police weren't too happy either, they have better things to do with their time.

YY noeffing They are certainly not abandoning Black Friday for altruistic reasons.

I remember the scenes last year, Id gone out, thankfully not to Asda, but I saw the queue stretched round the block, and Asda wouldn't open its doors till 9.30!

Helena, exactly, its a disgusting dislplay of greed, and not just by shoppers, (for just a few pounds off???) by the shopowners and I really feel for the poor staff.

Im surprised more people don't get crushed to death.

I really hope employers who ARE taking part have some contingency plans in place to protect their employees.