But at least if the sales are before Christmas it can cut down on the expense of present giving, especially if you have a large family and go in for a lot of present giving. šĀ
Gardening in Central NorfolkĀ on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I know it's another American thing. Something to do with thanksgiving,I think. Not relevant in any other country.
and yet millions of gullible consumers have happily jumped on board??
It's not really gullible consumers, in this case, so much as desperate retailers. You could call it 'pre-Christmas sales' if it makes you feel less Americanised. Data analysts presumably noticed a pattern to American shopping, where something about the timing in relation to Thanksgiving and Christmas meant a peak in demand on this weekend in the year. So retailers who are struggling began to cut prices on this weekend to try to get some turnover and generate a bit of Christmas shopping momentum.Ā
It's not relevant outsideĀ US only insofar as that shopping peak wouldn't happen elsewhere. But all retailers in the internet world are finding it hard to get sales, and a price cut in the run up to Christmas suits anyone that choses to celebrate Christmas by buying lots of stuff.Ā
You may be cynical about prices having been hiked in the weeks leading up to it in order to make the savings look better, but that's true of all seasonal sales, not just this one.
It's the relentless, hysterical advertising that gets you down, though, isn't it? That and the completely bonkers perfume adverts
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
āIt's still magic even if you know how it's done.āĀ
But at least if the sales are before Christmas it can cut down on the expense of present giving, especially if you have a large family and go in for a lot of present giving. šĀ
Why can't we get away from this notion that we HAVE to buy presents for everyone under the sun , even if we can't afford to?Ā For many people they just have massive credit card bills at the end of January which they can't clear.Ā
But some people like giving presents ... and if they can get a good deal in a pre-christmas sale then it cuts down on that credit card bill ... for them itās a no brainer (another Americanism š š). I donāt believe that the majority of folk are persuaded to spend a lot more than they intended to ... theres always some of course, but there always have been ... they donāt need Black Friday to lead them astray.Ā
Gardening in Central NorfolkĀ on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I think it might have been Which? that did a survey. Anyway, whoever it was found that in most cases, items could've been bought at lower prices at times during the year.
when we lived "up country" we had a lovely elderly neighbour and she dreaded christmas " every year there seems to be more grandchildren ,and as they get older their presents get more expensive"Ā Ā I'm sure she wasn't alone in feeling pressurised into spending more than she could afford.
A few years ago, we decided that the most we could spend was a tenner in total per person and you had to get as many presents as possible . Pound shops were raided. Some things gave us a laugh and some of the things, I'm still using! Another bonus was, loads of presents to open.
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Gardening in Central NorfolkĀ on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
It's not relevant outsideĀ US only insofar as that shopping peak wouldn't happen elsewhere. But all retailers in the internet world are finding it hard to get sales, and a price cut in the run up to Christmas suits anyone that choses to celebrate Christmas by buying lots of stuff.Ā
You may be cynical about prices having been hiked in the weeks leading up to it in order to make the savings look better, but that's true of all seasonal sales, not just this one.
It's the relentless, hysterical advertising that gets you down, though, isn't it? That and the completely bonkers perfume adverts
āIt's still magic even if you know how it's done.āĀ
Gardening in Central NorfolkĀ on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
For many people they just have massive credit card bills at the end of January which they can't clear.Ā
Gardening in Central NorfolkĀ on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
@steve Tu - if you're chatting in a pub or a cafĆ© or anywhere really, the topic changes and the conversation evolves or it gets boring.Ā Please move on.
Ā I'm sure she wasn't alone in feeling pressurised into spending more than she could afford.