Friday, November 23, 2012
A few facts, figures and tidbits before heading out with the other crazed shoppers.
1. BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING FORECAST: Friday: Partly sunny. Milder. Highs in mid/upper 50s. Saturday: Mainly cloudy with a few rain showers — it may end as a few wet snow showers in the Worcester hills. Highs in the upper 40s early then temps crash into the upper 30s by night. Sunday: Cold and windy. Clouds and sun. Maybe a flurry well NW? Upper 30s to near 40 for highs. 2. BLACK FRIDAY HISTORY: The term “Black Friday” was coined in the 1960s to mark the kickoff to the Christmas shopping season. “Black” refers to stores moving from the “red” to the “black,” back when accounting records were kept by hand, and red ink indicated a loss, and black a profit. Ever since the start of the modern Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924, the Friday …
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Blue laws prohibit retailers from opening before midnight on Black Friday.
Black Friday is starting earlier than ever, as some national retailers have announced they will open the night of Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 22. However, here in Massachusetts, state blue laws prohibit stores from opening until midnight, according to a report by the Boston Globe. Current blue laws prohibit retailers in the state from opening on Thanksgiving, thus preventing them from getting an early start on Black Friday sales, according to the Globe article. Some exceptions include restaurants, health care facilities and gas stations. The laws, instituted in the 17th century, are intended to make sure holidays are properly observed, according to the Boston Globe. Are Massachusetts' blue laws outdated? Should they be eliminated? Tell…
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Do you spend the bulk of your holiday gift budget while visiting small businesses, chain stores, or websites?
Thanksgiving isn't just a day of giving thanks, it's also the last day before the holiday shopping season starts with a bang on with early openings and one-day-only deals on Black Friday. In addition, this year is the second Small Business Saturday, a day, according to the organizers, "dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year," and this year's Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, is expected to draw an additional ten million shoppers to their screens over last years' total. Patch wants to know where the chips fall for you. Are you saving your money for internet sales, or did you complete the bulk of your shopping on November 25th? Is Small Business Saturday the day you'll be …
Friday, November 25, 2011
Do you brave the crowds or enjoy the comforts of home?
Black Friday is notoriously the busiest shopping day of the year in the country, and Massachusetts, even with its famous Blue Laws, is no exception. All things considered, Patch wants to know where you find yourself this November 25th. Will you be in line, coffee cup in hand, at 11:59 p.m. Thanksgiving night outside Target or the Wrentham Outlets, or are you content to wake up and hit the stores at the not-quite-leisurely hour of 4:30 a.m.? And what about people who are staying home? Do you avoid Black Friday shopping just because of the crowds, or do you have a more philosophical stance against going out that day, like the proponents of Buy Nothing Day? This is your chance to stand up and be counted, whether as a discount dilettante or…
Mike G.
6:58 pm on Saturday, November 17, 2012
I don't know if you're being purposely obtuse or what, but this isn't about Puritan days or morals, but it's about excess, and allowing people who work at these stores time to be with their families and friends. Shopping on Thanksgiving is pretty excessive, in my opinion, and it would probably cost more to keep the lights on than anything. more ›