BLACK FRIDAY

[Silent Earth]

 

[Dani]

We don't venture out for Black Friday. The crowds have lessened now with all the online shopping being done. Although I was tempted. . . fabric was 70% off at one spot.

 

[user 6493]

I had to go out I went to the bank and spent $23 on grocery's $40 on gas and $22 on the lotto
did a little looking and came home,the whole trip out and I was out for 3.5 hours,just about a normal weekend shopping trip,,,,almost forgot,,$18 on dog food

 

[TexasFreedom]

I'm in a major city this weekend. Did go to some bigger stores today.

Zero lines. Zero parking issues. People buying, but a fraction of past years.

One mall I've been dragged to in the past had tons of parking spots only 15-20 spots from the entrance. Past years it took 15 minutes of driving to find a single spot.

But then I only spent maybe 1/10th of what I've spent on the 'typical' black friday in past years.

I'm only curious what reports will show regarding sales volumes. I'll predict it will look brutal in reality. I'll expect lots of store closings early next year.

 

[TexasFreedom]

I did more searching this evening for black friday sales results.

Everywhere is quick to shout that online sales are up 15+%. Yippee. But I have not found a single quote to say how IN-store sales did. They simply do not want to talk about those bad numbers. Yet, one article ends with:
Macy's stock has lost more than 40 percent this year, Penney's stock is down 60 percent, and Sears shares have fallen around 59 percent. Nordstrom is also down 14.5 percent, while Kohl's shares have dropped about 9 percent in 2017.
That article had pages of talking up online sales & stuck this bad news at the very end. See https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/25/bla...epartment-stores-on-thanksgiving-weekend.html

They hardly even touch on all the good opportunities for this year. Good weather everywhere, no recent terrorism/current threats, stock market is screaming hot, not a single 'excuse' for why sales should be down. Given all this, sales should be up 20%+.

Has anyone seen any in-store sales results? I really think they are dismal, down 10-20%?

 

[Brent S]

I shop a lot on line now, so at least didn’t deal with crowds Honestly, most of the deals I’ve seen has been on stuff I don’t even want. There is just too much cheap plastic junk out there that isn’t even worth owning, much less going into debt over. It seems to me that time off is more valuable than filling my house with more useless stuff.

 

[Maverick]

I don't venture out much this time of year, don't have much toleration for the rudeness, can't even go to the feed store for some coffee without being pissed of before I even arrive.

 

[toexist]

One word...

amazon.

 

[Maverick]

We buy all year for one another but Christmas, we don't buy gifts, we make, we a little traditional here in that regard.

 

[toexist]

We buy all year for one another but Christmas, we don't buy gifts, we make, we a little traditional here in that regard.

That's pretty cool.

 

[DrHenley]

I LOVE Black Friday!

Before I retired, I always took a vacation day on Black Friday.

While my wife hit the stores I HIT THE WOODS!

 

[DrPrepper1]

I was able to get 30 lbs of dog food for $30. Normal price for 30 lbs is $90. My 5 lb fur ball is set for a bit.

 

[Proud Prepper]

I was able to get 30 lbs of dog food for $30. Normal price for 30 lbs is $90. My 5 lb fur ball is set for a bit.

What kind of dog food is that? The dogfood I buy is $.38 a pound.

 

[DrPrepper1]

What kind of dog food is that? The dogfood I buy is $.38 a pound.

It’s called Nutro. It costs a lot but she eats less and produces less waste in my small backyard.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I hate going out and fighting the crowds this time of year. I saw about 8 people at the grocery store and 5 at the gas station. A lot more than usual.

 

[TexasFreedom]

https://www.infowars.com/we-have-tr...ilers-have-closed-at-least-50-stores-in-2017/

Definitely worth a read. 6100 stores closed in 2008, the record. Last year about 2500 closed. This year, 2017, it's 6700 stores. And next year it could exceed 9000 stores. This is SERIOUS nightmare scenario for retail.

It’s called Nutro. It costs a lot but she eats less and produces less waste in my small backyard.

A side topic, but dog food is a topic most people have no clue regarding. "Old Roy" and a majority of dog foods are absolute junk: you are buying pre-processed dog poop. The dogs will eat a ton getting minimal nutrition, and all you're left with are lots of big stinky piles in the yard. Yup, 38c/lb is cheap, but when you feed 3 times as much, it shortens your dog's life, you're picking up piles (or stepping in them...) by the wheelbarrow. What do you really gain?

Many people are changing to better brands. Note that 'science diet' sold at many vet clinics is absolute junk. But $2-3 / lb is fairly standard costs for a 'quality' food.

We've gone a different route. Note that we have AKC nationally-ranked dogs, typically 6-12 of them. Average dog is 60-70 lbs, so 500-700 lbs of dog in our house at any given time. We drop $10-20k per year on various things with the dogs (care, showing,etc). Heck, I've got about $100k in vehicles exclusively dedicated to transporting dogs.

We don't feed dog food. Rather, we feed raw meat. Nothing fancy, but chicken necks, beef/chicken hearts, chicken backs, gizzards, turkey butts. It runs in the $1-1.50 / lb. But we buy 500 lbs at a time. We feed 20-30 oz per day per dog. And we do weigh it out. But we noted a marked improvement in everything from muscle tone to coat condition, even their teeth. One important impact we've definitely noted is significantly less cancer issues. Been doing it at least 10 years.

Also, their feces is tiny. A 80 lb dog craps less than my thumb in diameter/length (1" diameter, 2" long) once/twice a day. It is dry, crumbly. No smell. AND, we haven't picked up after the dogs in a decade! Between a few insects and the smaller volume (and note, 10 dogs right now!), it just goes away.

 

[Maverick]

Lisa's Papillons eat Nutrisca, a 28lb bag cost her a little over $60 and last 6 weeks.

 

[DrPrepper1]

https://www.infowars.com/we-have-tr...ilers-have-closed-at-least-50-stores-in-2017/

Definitely worth a read. 6100 stores closed in 2008, the record. Last year about 2500 closed. This year, 2017, it's 6700 stores. And next year it could exceed 9000 stores. This is SERIOUS nightmare scenario for retail.


A side topic, but dog food is a topic most people have no clue regarding. "Old Roy" and a majority of dog foods are absolute junk: you are buying pre-processed dog poop. The dogs will eat a ton getting minimal nutrition, and all you're left with are lots of big stinky piles in the yard. Yup, 38c/lb is cheap, but when you feed 3 times as much, it shortens your dog's life, you're picking up piles (or stepping in them...) by the wheelbarrow. What do you really gain?

Many people are changing to better brands. Note that 'science diet' sold at many vet clinics is absolute junk. But $2-3 / lb is fairly standard costs for a 'quality' food.

We've gone a different route. Note that we have AKC nationally-ranked dogs, typically 6-12 of them. Average dog is 60-70 lbs, so 500-700 lbs of dog in our house at any given time. We drop $10-20k per year on various things with the dogs (care, showing,etc). Heck, I've got about $100k in vehicles exclusively dedicated to transporting dogs.

We don't feed dog food. Rather, we feed raw meat. Nothing fancy, but chicken necks, beef/chicken hearts, chicken backs, gizzards, turkey butts. It runs in the $1-1.50 / lb. But we buy 500 lbs at a time. We feed 20-30 oz per day per dog. And we do weigh it out. But we noted a marked improvement in everything from muscle tone to coat condition, even their teeth. One important impact we've definitely noted is significantly less cancer issues. Been doing it at least 10 years.

Also, their feces is tiny. A 80 lb dog craps less than my thumb in diameter/length (1" diameter, 2" long) once/twice a day. It is dry, crumbly. No smell. AND, we haven't picked up after the dogs in a decade! Between a few insects and the smaller volume (and note, 10 dogs right now!), it just goes away.

We got our dog from the SPCA in April. They were feeding her Science Diet. I knew it was junk, but I didn't know how bad it was. I purposely didn't feed her for 24 hours when we got her so that I could make sure all the Science Diet was out of her system before we started the new stuff. She went to the bathroom 5 times within 24 hours and she hadn't ate at thing. That's kind of over the top if you ask me. I agree with all of your statements about the benefits of paying more for dog food. I consider myself to be pretty frugal with most things, but I will buy good dog food.

 

[DrHenley]

6100 stores closed in 2008, the record. Last year about 2500 closed. This year, 2017, it's 6700 stores. And next year it could exceed 9000 stores. This is SERIOUS nightmare scenario for retail.

Scrolling down the list, I noticed a few that I EXPECTED.

 

[DrPrepper1]

https://www.infowars.com/we-have-tr...ilers-have-closed-at-least-50-stores-in-2017/

Definitely worth a read. 6100 stores closed in 2008, the record. Last year about 2500 closed. This year, 2017, it's 6700 stores. And next year it could exceed 9000 stores. This is SERIOUS nightmare scenario for retail.



A side topic, but dog food is a topic most people have no clue regarding. "Old Roy" and a majority of dog foods are absolute junk: you are buying pre-processed dog poop. The dogs will eat a ton getting minimal nutrition, and all you're left with are lots of big stinky piles in the yard. Yup, 38c/lb is cheap, but when you feed 3 times as much, it shortens your dog's life, you're picking up piles (or stepping in them...) by the wheelbarrow. What do you really gain?

Many people are changing to better brands. Note that 'science diet' sold at many vet clinics is absolute junk. But $2-3 / lb is fairly standard costs for a 'quality' food.

We've gone a different route. Note that we have AKC nationally-ranked dogs, typically 6-12 of them. Average dog is 60-70 lbs, so 500-700 lbs of dog in our house at any given time. We drop $10-20k per year on various things with the dogs (care, showing,etc). Heck, I've got about $100k in vehicles exclusively dedicated to transporting dogs.

We don't feed dog food. Rather, we feed raw meat. Nothing fancy, but chicken necks, beef/chicken hearts, chicken backs, gizzards, turkey butts. It runs in the $1-1.50 / lb. But we buy 500 lbs at a time. We feed 20-30 oz per day per dog. And we do weigh it out. But we noted a marked improvement in everything from muscle tone to coat condition, even their teeth. One important impact we've definitely noted is significantly less cancer issues. Been doing it at least 10 years.

Also, their feces is tiny. A 80 lb dog craps less than my thumb in diameter/length (1" diameter, 2" long) once/twice a day. It is dry, crumbly. No smell. AND, we haven't picked up after the dogs in a decade! Between a few insects and the smaller volume (and note, 10 dogs right now!), it just goes away.

I think consumerism is alive and well. There is a shift to online stores. Younger people today spend more money on technology and travel than generations before them. Generations before them spent more money on items found at the mall.

Stores may close, but those retailers that are smart will find a way to reinvent themselves to suit what consumers are looking for.

 

[TexasFreedom]

DrP,

I think online sales are only 15% of total sales. But let's say store sales are down 20% and online sales jump 50% from 10 to 15% of total sales. That's still a 15% total sales roll-off. Note these are not actual exact numbers, but just an example. But I have seen repeatedly that online sales is maybe 15% of total sales.

And yes, smart stores will 'adapt'. Radio shack clearly was not successful. Sears/KMart?ToysRUs also are failures. A few years ago Circuit City lead the way down.

Here's a scary example. The other day I was curious about how cheap can I get some T-shirts. Junk shirts, use for painting & such. Simple search on EBay, $0.78 for a Tshirt and that is with FREE shipping! I'd paid that in sales tax on a Tshirt. How does a retail store compete with that? But wow, 78 cents. Shipping from China. That includes the Ebay fees (10%?). Insane.

 

[DrPrepper1]

DrP,

I think online sales are only 15% of total sales. But let's say store sales are down 20% and online sales jump 50% from 10 to 15% of total sales. That's still a 15% total sales roll-off. Note these are not actual exact numbers, but just an example. But I have seen repeatedly that online sales is maybe 15% of total sales.

And yes, smart stores will 'adapt'. Radio shack clearly was not successful. Sears/KMart?ToysRUs also are failures. A few years ago Circuit City lead the way down.

Here's a scary example. The other day I was curious about how cheap can I get some T-shirts. Junk shirts, use for painting & such. Simple search on EBay, $0.78 for a Tshirt and that is with FREE shipping! I'd paid that in sales tax on a Tshirt. How does a retail store compete with that? But wow, 78 cents. Shipping from China. That includes the Ebay fees (10%?). Insane.

Yes, buying from China direct is always cheapest. I have done it several times myself. It is difficult for a store to compete with that. However, I don't know that clothes are the big attraction they once were. It is more technology based sales, travel, entertainment and so forth. People want to eat out, drink beer, travel and have the latest and greatest cell phone / laptop whatever .. Cheap clothing is just something that is more common. Even though it isn't Ebay prices, stores like Old Navy sale a lot of cheap stuff. It used to be people could tell when you wore cheap clothes, now it is fashionable. So yes, malls may go by the wayside and even a few Walmart stores... and I wouldn't shed a tear for Walmart, but they are doing more on line sales. They have cut out some of their price matching and saving catcher programs because I think other people like Amazon are giving them a run for their money on prices. I think there is change coming. I think retail will have a new look. Reminds me of long ago when fast food wasn't really fast. Then McDonald's came along and changed everything. At first, it was a big upset, but then it took off where everyone was making food fast. It (unfortunately ) is still around today. Malls and many stores will be come a thing of the past.

 

[Maverick]

I don't agree with the direction we are heading but it is going to change nothing is going to stop it! The entire retail is consumer driven, if someone comes along to make it easier and cheaper for the consumer than it is the consumer who will choose the direction. Much of the online retail are catering to the younger generation who enjoys this push button shopping and as much as I dislike it (bitching and moaning about it all) I have benefited from it, I have saved a lot of money by going on-line and got it quicker than if I ordered it from the local merchant. I remember the days of having to wait 3 months for an item, the younger generation today would probably go mad if we returned to the days of 'give it 3 months sir'

Can you imagine taking the digital age kids today back to my time of shopping, we had Sears, Montgomery Wards, JCpenney and tell the kid oh by the way, they don't sell anything in the store, you have to order it from the catalog. I wonder how many on here remember the catalog stores? There are many things I truly miss from my past waiting isn't one of them like driving 45 miles just thumb through the catalog, place the order and return 3 months later to pick it up. Each generation gives way to the following generation, it's always been that way and like the generation before me I'm sure they had a few choice words too.

It's the way it is.

 

[Gazrok]

I used to enjoy black friday, but now, there is simply no reason for it.

A) Stores now have sales that last the whole week leading up to and past that friday.
B) You can get it all online now for the most part anyhow, and the same deals.
C) With online competition, the "door buster" items are simply non-existent anymore