Arizonans hopeful for discounts, economic recovery during holiday shopping season
Ryan McCullough and Leslie Philip
The day-after-Thanksgiving shopping spree, more commonly known as Black Friday, has been a tradition for years as a kick-off to the Christmas shopping season. However, the tradition has changed this year with stores in the area giving special deals for the entire month of November.The term Black Friday has been dated back into the early 1960s, when people decided to “Blackout” that day and stay home. Eventually, this became the term Black Friday now known to all retailers across the country.
“I feel like there’s not going to be any stupid sales,” Cheyenn Hamnonds, a nursing major, said, “I feel like all of the sales are happening now and they’re not even that good, but I still want to go.”
Hamnonds also feels that Black Friday may help the economy a little bit this year.
“I know someone that works at Wal-Mart and they said that there’s going to be huge, random sales on things that people would buy for Christmas presents, but not something they would just go spend money on” Hamnonds said.
Claudia Perez, a dental hygiene major, feels that the economy could be affected in a positive way or a negative way because of Black Friday.
“Honestly I’ve never been to a Black Friday; this is going to be my first year. (Black Friday) might be good (for the economy) because people are going to try and go out and try to buy things because they are cheaper, but many people don’t have the money to go out and (buy).” Perez said.
There has been speculation that Black Friday deals are not always what they seem. For example, a $550 television brought hundreds of people to one store last year only to find out the store had four units in stock.
“I’m really excited and I’m going to go shopping at the mall,” Kelly Desjardins, a nursing major, said, “I feel like (Black Friday) is a good thing because more people are going to go shopping.”
Desjardins also feels that Black Friday will help to re-stimulate the economy.
Black Friday may have been around for years, but analysts believe that 2010 will be ground breaking because early discounts are both wider and steeper and the sale period is longer.
In the early hours of Black Friday, several shoppers camped outside the stores in hopes of getting deep discounted products.
Best Buy always draws those interested in Black Friday deals. Pablo Nevares was drawn to the Best Buy outside the Chandler Mall.
“They have a 55-inch Samsung T.V. and I haven’t bought a T.V. in 10 years,” Nevares said.
