Dec 14, 2012

Black Friday - America's biggest shopping day*



The third Thursday of November might be a holiday for a good part of the US but the day that follows is a big event for an even larger part of its people. It’s the day that kick starts the shopping season and  it’s the day that America shops really hard. When I first heard of Black Friday and the fact that people lined up in front of stores in the wee hours of the morning, I found it hard to believe.

In the few years of living in the United States, I heard a lot more about the country's biggest shopping day: I heard of the deals, I heard of the rush and I even heard of the increasing numbers of road-mishaps that happen on that day. Wait, I've heard of stampedes too.

I went shopping one Black Friday, a couple of years ago and saw some of the crowds and the long lines at several shops at Great Mall in Milpitas, CA. But that was during the day. Last year I thought I should go and experience the the rush-before-dawn but then we were in LA that weekend so we had better things to do --like walk around Hollywood Boulevard and hang out with the stars at Madame Tussauds. So this Thanksgiving Day, a resolute me quickly did the dinner dishes, grabbed a sweater(and my point-and-shoot) and made my way to Valley Fair Mall in San Jose around 11:45 pm. This year, most shops promised to open at 12 am. And they did.

If you are travelling to the US during Thanksgiving you might see this; or you might want to go shopping or mall-hopping to experience this frenzy.

Shoppers waiting for the doors to open, quarter to 12 on Thanksgiving Day

Midnight shoppers at Valley Fair Mall, San Jose, California

The was a DJ too, clearly adding to the festivity

Armani Store @ 1:19 am.

1:30 am

1:32 am

1:33 am

1:44 am

1:46 am

The food court was packed too. 1:52 am
*This post was published especially for this blog's increasing number readers in India, most of whom have not had a chance to experience a typical American Black Friday. 

What this blogger did last Black Friday - click HERE
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32 comments:

  1. A grand post on a grand event! Enjoyed thoroughly even without having been there:) Thank you Divya for taking us around!!

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    1. You're most welcome, Amit. I wanted to record this last year itself but that didn't happen.

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  2. Trust Americans to convert a simple family holiday into a poster child of consumerism. ( not that I have not taken advantage of some of those deals :) )

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    1. It's getting bigger with every passing year. Stores are opening much earlier. This year most places opened at 12 but there were places like Toys'r'us and Walmart that opened as early as 8 on Thursday. Not everybody was happy with it. Walmart employees did some protesting because Black Friday Business was eating into their Thanksgiving holiday. :(.

      I say if you're visiting here around this time, you must check it out. Just for the fun of it and if there are good deals, might as well take advantage of it. :)

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  3. Now that is some craze! The crowd seems to be increasing by the minute, I can already imagine so many shops to be jam packed! Thanks for sharing, Divya :)

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    1. Earlier this used to be the scene during Black Friday alone. These days however, people camp outside Apple stores every time a new ipad or iphone is coming out. (Maybe I should go get some of that action, next time ;).)

      My pleasure, Arti. :)

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  4. That is actually a new information for me, about The Black Friday. Interesting to see the large crowd waiting to shop at midnight! Thank you for the post.

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    1. It was for me too, before I got here. In a few years time, this might be a phenomenon in India too. :)

      You're welcome, Abhinav. :)

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  5. We have this coming on boxing day 26th dec , when people will go mad t ogo to sales and buy things which they probably will never need too :) he he he


    Bikram's

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    1. Exactly. I heard about it last year. Bikram, thank you -- the other day I was taking to a friend about this and I just couldn't recall the name. Boxing Day, it is. Thank you.
      So it's just coming up, eh. You could go and pick up some things for the new house ;)

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  6. You didn't tell how much you saved by joining the melee! I often read about overnight queues, at times for Apple gadgets. At the rate we are imitating the west, I am sure we'll be witnessing the craze out here in India too, maybe at Diwali nights or New Years, or Apple and other such products. Those are telling photographs. Great work, Divya!

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    1. Actually we didn't have much shopping to do 'coz we'd had to do some a few weeks before that. :( And if only we had the patience to wait in those really long lines! But then we didn't exactly come back empty handed; there was a Blue Ray player and a Wii console.
      I see the long lines outside the Apple stores (on the news), every time an iphone or ipad's making a debut. For a change, I saw a longer queue outside the Microsoft store as opposed to the Apple store just opposite it, in this mall. All for the Windows 8, I guess. We'd have liked to get in there if the lines were not that long. :)
      True USP, I wouldn't be surprised if those Diwali sales (and Onam sales in Kerala) grow to be like this in the next few years.
      Thank you USP. :)

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    2. USP, you should see this ad (Samsung poking fun at Apple and it's new-found tradition of long lines) It came out when the iphone 5 was on its way.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf5-Prx19ZM

      :D

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  7. I believe you get spectacular deals. But I would hate to be standing in queues. Good news Divya - I am back to blogging ! Hope you are having a great weekend ! Cheers Ram

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    1. Same here, the queues put me off too. :)
      So nice to know that you're back. I missed reading you. I'm really looking forward to the rest of your US travel stories, Mr. Ram. :)

      You have a great week.

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    2. I already have two posts from Yellowstone this week.

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  8. just like us, they also need an excuse to shop

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    1. True, more than that, it's a big day for the business houses. And soon every country will have a big and crazy shopping day, just like this one.

      But it is fun, also. :)

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  9. Lovely capture of the shopping mania which grips the people in USA on the occassion, Divya!! I too have seen familiar scenes in Boston and NY when I was there:)

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. Thanks Mr. Bhatia. That's exactly what it is. I'm so glad you got to be in the middle of some Black Friday shopping during your visit.
      I have a friend who's visiting and I was just telling her it'd be great to experience all this craziness. Anyway she had quite a bit of shopping to do, so I guess it was all worth it.

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  10. nice shopping, here govt started grand kerala shopping festival from december 15 to january 31

    thanks

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    1. I've been seeing the ads on the Malayalam Channels, we watch. It's getting really big, isn't it? In a while we'll be doing midnight shopping in our own 'Keralam' too. :)

      Thank you Krishna. :)

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  11. What about Boxing Day? Isn't that a huge day for sales too?

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    1. Not in the US. Here Black Friday wins hands down. :)

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  12. Oh my my ! What a rush of people. I've heard of huge discounts on stuff but the number of people is staggering.

    So, what was the best deal you got out of the festive season? :) :) :)

    Keep posting.

    Regards

    Jay
    http://road-to-sanitarium.blogspot.in/

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    1. We didn't do a 'proper shopping' on Black Friday. So, it is very unfortunate that there isn't a deal I'm proud of. :(

      If you're here in the US again and if it is around Thanksgiving, you know this is something you SHOULD do, right -- Jay? :)

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  13. Yes its really helpfull for us, when this event comes i buy some domains for my new businesses. Because blackfriday gives us minim 50% discount on anything so that's why. Well now i just created my new online shopping mall which is all about Ainol tablet pc in pakistan .

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  14. Thanks for sharing, Divya. Haven't heard of Black Friday night before this...interesting!The malls across the globe look similar:)) lovely sharing!!

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    1. Ain't I glad to hear that! So happy I could share this with you. My pleasure, Panchali di.
      The malls -- oh yeah; international standards, I guess. :)

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  15. I was travelling to India this thanksgiving but last year I was there in lines. More than shopping, the whole spirit of festivity and indulgence is maddening.

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    1. I swear, it's that festive spirit that's more attractive than the shopping.
      I hope you had a good holiday, Saru.

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