Has it just been too long since you’ve felt the panic rising from your stomach and into your throat at the idea of competing for Black Friday specials? You’re in luck! Walmart and Lowes are both pushing so-called spring “Black Friday” discounts in an attempt to stir up some business, or maybe just to make us feel like the walls are slowly closing in… [More]
black friday
Toll-Free Number On Walmart Black Friday TV Voucher Forwarded To Wisconsin Spa
By 12.4.13
There might have been thousands of people who received vouchers from Walmart during Thanksgiving weekend that entitled them to order a television online at a certain price. For many of them, the voucher didn’t work, so they called the toll-free number on the voucher. For some reason that isn’t clear to anyone yet, this number was forwarded to a spa in Wisconsin. [More]
Black Friday Eve Not The Optimal Time For An Emergency Trip To Walmart
By 12.3.13
Stuff always breaks at the worst possible time, doesn’t it? That was Josh’s experience over Thanksgiving weekend. The household he visited over the holiday weekend had a plumbing emergency on Thursday. With no plumbers available for obvious reasons, they dug up the lawn and attempted a DIY repair. It went well until they made a trip to the only hardware store in town that was open: Walmart. [More]
Walmart Sold 2.8 Million Towels This Weekend
By 12.2.13
Sure, we in the media like to focus on the people who punch each other over televisions at Walmart stores during the weekend after Thanksgiving. While the mega-retailer sold millions of TV sets this weekend, that wasn’t their top seller. What item did they move the most of over the long weekend? Towels. [More]
Here Are Some Videos Of People Who Spent Thanksgiving Fighting Over Discounted Junk
By 11.29.13
Can we pour one out for the memory of Thanksgiving, the once-loved holiday that took a shot to the gut yesterday when hordes of bargain-hunters chose to forego time with family and loved ones in favor of overhyped discounts on clearance items, and then died forever when the first punch was thrown, presumably minutes after the doors opened. For those of us who didn’t go shopping last night, here are some reminders why… [More]
Take Us Shopping With You This Black Friday
By 11.27.13
Going shopping this long weekend? Working in the retail frenzy? We want to hear your tales of commerce, mayhem, bargains, chaos, fun, and greed. You know, Black Friday. Don’t forget to put the Consumerist Tipster App for iOS or Android on your smartphone so you can beam your experiences right to Consumerist HQ. If you don’t have a smartphone, we like regular old e-mail just as much. [More]
Black Friday Shoppers Set Up Camp At Best Buys Nationwide
By 11.25.13
For some people, the weekend before Thanksgiving means house-cleaning and checking their grocery list for the big feast on Thursday. For others, it means setting up a tent in front of Best Buy and settling in for the rest of the week. For these people, at least, Best Buy opening at 6 P.M. on Thanksgiving Day is good news.
Mall Restaurants Open On Thanksgiving Because Someone’s Got To Feed The Hungry Shoppers
By 11.25.13
There’s nothing worse than a rumble in your stomach while you’re trying to focus on the hard task of shopping Black Friday or Thanksgiving sales. Maybe you left that plate of turkey and stuffing to get cold and congealed on the table in favor of scoring the best deals. Since many mall stores will be open on earlier on Thanksgiving this year, so will plenty of food court restaurants. [More]
4 Reasons Why Today Should Have Been Black Friday (And Why That Could Have Saved Thanksgiving)
By 11.22.13
There is a lot of talk these days about the growing number stores opening on Thanksgiving day this year, effectively turning Black Friday into Black Thursday. There are employees threatening strikes and people starting petitions while stores are opening as early as 6 a.m. on the morning of Turkey Day. But maybe it all could have been avoided if they had just moved the big shopping day up a week. [More]
Walmart Employees & Supporters Planning Black Friday Protests At 1,500 Stores
By 11.21.13
Just like last year, Walmart associates and other supporters in communities across the country are planning on protesting at a number of stores on Black Friday, about 1,500 locations this time around. At the heart of those campaigns are supporters’ concerns over 825,000 Walmart workers who are paid less than $25,000 a year, alleged illegal retaliation against workers and improved labor standards. [More]
People Already Camped Out For Black Friday Admit: “We Are Crazy”
By 11.21.13
Every year there are the inevitable stories about consumers setting up camp to wait for Black Friday sales, and this year is no different. But honestly? The group at this Best Buy in Ohio sounds like a blast, as most say they’re there for the community aspect. “I don’t even want to buy anything,” one woman admitted. “I just wanted to hang out with everyone.” Wanna call them crazy? That’s fine, says another: “We are crazy.” [via USA Today (video autoplays)] [More]
Walmart Hasn’t Paid $7,000 Fine For 2008 Black Friday Trampling Death
By 11.21.13
We mentioned the other day that it’s been five years since the tragic Black Friday trampling death of a Walmart employee. In the years since, Walmart has spent millions of dollars trying to avoid the meager $7,000 fine from OSHA, and still has yet to pay it. [More]
NLRB May Prosecute Walmart For Alleged Retaliation Against Protesting Workers
By 11.18.13
For the last few years, a number of Walmart workers have pushed the nation’s largest retailer for higher wages and the right to unionize. During this time, some employees have alleged that management has retaliated against workers who have protested the store or walked off the job temporarily to strike. Today, the General Counsel for the federal National Labor Relations Board issued a statement saying he has investigated these claims and may have to prosecute the company. [More]
5 Years After Deadly Walmart Black Friday Stampede, OSHA Reminds Stores To Keep Order
By 11.18.13
In the early morning hours of Nov. 28, 2008, a Walmart employee in Long Island was trampled to death by over-eager shoppers rushing to grab doorbuster deals. In the years since, many stores have taken measures to prevent this sort of tragedy from happening again, but it doesn’t hurt to remind retailers what can be done to minimize any mob mania. [More]
Costco, BJ’s Would Rather Have Their Employees Spend Thanksgiving At Home
By 11.14.13
This year, everyone from Kmart to Macy’s to Staples will be celebrating the time-honored tradition of ruining Thanksgiving by throwing open their doors early to shoppers eager to flee the company of their families in favor of door-buster deals on junk the stores are desperate to get rid of. But some retailers simply refuse to get into the spirit of Black Thursday and won’t open until — get this — the day after Thanksgiving. [More]
Insider: Everyone At Best Buy Dreads 6 P.M. Thanksgiving Day Opening
By 11.13.13
We’ve been writing a lot about major retailers’ plans to open on Thanksgiving Day. In case it isn’t clear, we aren’t fans of this phenomenon. According to to our poll data, our mailbox, and comments left here on the site, neither are our readers. We received a lengthy rant from an anonymous Geek Squad agent about how things look right now at Best Buy, and what workers at Big Yellow and Blue have to look forward to. [More]
Walmart To Workers: Sorry You Won’t Be Home On Thanksgiving, Here’s A Turkey Dinner
By 11.13.13
There’s nothing like a home-cooked meal, surrounded by loved ones with the warmth and satisfaction that comes from a full belly and companionship. Walmart thinks it can replace at least parts of that experience by giving employees a turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, rolls and pie for anyone working on Thanksgiving Day. [More]
We Disagree With This Fake Overview Of Black Friday Sales
By 11.12.13
This satirical Onion overview of Black Friday sales is funny and all, but we’re pretty sure that they printed an error. The store that’s offering a “[c]omplimentary all-encompassing sadness and pervasive sense that your life wasn’t supposed to be like this with every purchase” is actually Kmart. And it starts at 6 A.M. on Thanksgiving Day. [The Onion] [More]
