The Los Angeles Times says that a Walmart in Upland, California had to kick everyone out and shut down for 3 hours this morning, because shoppers lost their damned minds. [More]
black friday
Busting Myths About Black Friday And Cyber Monday
By 11.27.09
Black Friday isn’t really the top holiday shopping day of the season–the last Saturday before Christmas is. Today, we have Cyber Monday, when turkey-bloated office workers purportedly return to work and spend the day looking for deals online. But is Cyber Monday really the biggest online shopping day of the year? Well, no. Focus put some numbers together to clear up misconceptions about Americans’ online holiday shopping patterns. [More]
Police Called To Quell Fight Over Toy Hamsters
By 11.27.09
People in Indiana really want those trendy little robot hamsters that are the designated fad toy of 2009. Police were called to two Toys R Us stores, one in Indianapolis and one in Greenwood, on Friday after fights broke out among toy shoppers. [More]
First Toy Store Melee Reported In Connecticut
By 11.27.09
The crowd waiting at the doors of the Toys R Us in Manchester, Conn., burning up with Black Friday fever, grew impatient. Shortly before the store opened at midnight, a group of people tried to jump the line and get through the doors. The store didn’t open until nearly an hour later–and after twenty police officers got the crowd under control. [More]
101 Stores To Shop Today And Monday
By 11.27.09
Several readers sent us this link to ITEYA’s exhaustive rankings of the top 101 Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales. [More]
Black Friday Picks From A Tightwad
By 11.26.09
We still think that shopping on Black Friday is a really, really bad idea, but apparently we’re in the minority. According to one recent poll, 54% of American consumers are planning on shopping at some point this weekend. We’re hoping that at least some of them are just going to pick up some Zantac to help deal with today’s excesses. For the rest, there are a few deals worth considering, if you know where to look. [More]
20 Tips To Ready You For Black Friday
By 11.26.09
Budgets Are Sexy’s J. Money put together a list of 20 ways to prep yourself for Friday’s shopping frenzy. Here’s a taste of the post: [More]
Black Friday Doorbusters Are A Sleazy Way To Lure Customers
By 11.20.09
Pay no attention to those ridiculously cheap TV sets and game systems—also called doorbusters—that retailers use to lure in hordes of holiday shoppers, notes CNN. They’re the equivalent of that little dangly thing anglerfish use to catch food.
Walmart's Black Friday Plan: Cheap TVs, iPod Touch With $50 Gift Card
By 11.19.09
The morning after Thanksgiving, Walmart will make its customers elbow and curb-stomp one another in order to jostle for Sanyon 720p HDTVs for less than $598, a Magnavox Blu-ray player for $78 and $195 iPod Touch that comes with a $50 iTunes gift card, CNNMoney reports.
Website Tracks Black Friday Deals
By 11.16.09
The website BlackFriday.info tracks post-Thanksgiving sales ads as they’re posted and leaked, giving you one-stop shopping to find out what deals will be worth elbowing strangers in the face for.
Walmart Takes Steps To Prevent More Black Friday Chaos And Tragedy
By 11.13.09
Hoping to avoid anything even close to last year’s tragic Black Friday human stampede, Walmart stores nationwide aren’t opening at the crack of dawn. Instead of opening their doors at 5 A.M. and inviting sales-crazed frenzies, they will open at 6 A.M. on Thanksgiving Day, then remain open overnight.
Time To Formulate Your Black Friday Safety Strategies
By 11.13.09
Looking ahead to Black Friday, America’s annual equivalent of soccer hooliganism, Bargain Babe Julia Scott enlists the help of fellow blogger Suzanne O’Connor to compile some safety tips to keep in mind when you brave the ravenous deal-hunting crowds.
Walmart To Pay $7,000 OSHA Fine In Worker Death
By 5.27.09
Earlier this month, Walmart avoided criminal charges in the trampling death of a worker at a Long Island store last November by setting up a $400,000 victims’ compensation fund and giving $1.5 million to local non-profits and social service programs. But that settlement didn’t stop an ongoing investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Now, the government agency has announced the results of its probe, declaring that workers were put at risk “due to the store’s failure to implement reasonable and effective crowd management principles.” The company will be fined the maximum penalty allowed: $7,000. Walmart has 15 days to appeal or pay up.
Settlement In Shopper Stampede Case; Wal-Mart Avoids Criminal Charges
By 5.6.09
Wal-Mart will not face criminal charges in the death of temporary holiday worker Jdimytai Damour at its Valley Stream, NY store. Damour was posted at the front of the store when the out-of-control early morning crowd broke the door down, and he was trampled to death.
Customer Sues Sears Over Bogus Black Friday Deal… And Wins
By 4.2.09
Once upon a time, way back in November, a St. Louis MBA student named Cheri was the one of the first inside her local Sears store on Black Friday morning. She rushed to get the best deal they were offering — a washer and dryer for $599. To her dismay, she found out that the heavily advertised deal was not available — customers were being asked to pay now and get the washer and dryer in 30 days. Even with this disappointment, the deal was too good to pass up, so she agreed. Months later there was no sign of her washer and dryer, so she took Sears to court. And won.
Office Depot Comes Through With Stellar Customer Service, But Then Doesn't Deliver On Promise
By 2.5.09
Jake couldn’t place an order for an Xbox 360 deal on Black Friday—yes, we’re talking about a failed transaction from two and half months ago—but he got surprisingly helpful customer service from Office Depot. Margaret at the Office of the Chairman even gave him her personal number and promised him a raincheck of sorts in the form of a gift card for a future purchase. Her offer sounded almost too good to be true, and maybe it was, because as of February he still hasn’t seen a gift card. And Margaret won’t return his voicemail messages, not even to say the deal is off. Update: Office Depot saw this post, and they contacted Jake.
Shoppers Cracked Jokes As Trampled Walmart Worker Died
By 12.8.08
The Seattle Times has a disturbing story the describes the scene at the Valley Stream, NY Walmart, where worker Jdimytai Damour died of asphyxiation. Shoppers were apparently cracking jokes and making fun of him as paramedics struggled to save his life.
