Today is Black Friday — dubbed as such to mark the shopping day that normally puts retail businesses in the black with increased consumer spending for the Christmas holiday. CNN states that holiday sales can account for as much as 50% of merchant’s annual profits and sales — and how many people have you already heard say, “Christmas is going to be lean at our house this year”? I’ve said it myself…
I’m not venturing out today — and with the spending lockdown that has already put several retailers into bankruptcy — I’m guessing there are many more just like me. Even though gas prices are down today ($1.69 in Indy), we’ve spent the last couple years watching them rise, while our home’s equity has declined. People like me aren’t going to rush and and buy a bunch of crap to put under the tree this year.
Sooooo, my thoughts now carry me to work on a day that I have off –but I’ve just gotta put them here anyway. Sorry…
In Scott McKain’s book that hits the shelves in February, The Collapse of Distinction, he makes it very clear what businesses must do to survive in challenging times. My brother has always thought of things that were lost on me. I’m artsy — he’s philosophical. Still, it isn’t hard for me to understand the concepts once he explains them. And I can see how it all fits in when I think about how I’m changing my own spending habits.
As I reflect on putting up the ole’ Christmas tree today and what gifts I’ll put under it, I am ultimately looking for unique items — and quality instead of quantity. If that’s what I’m doing — and I’m a pretty average consumer — I’ll bet that some of you reading this are doing the same thing. Although I’m not going to help some businesses stay out of bankruptcy court by spending my money with them, I really don’t believe that my family’s holiday season is going to suffer. And I’m ultimately going to be helping out businesses that normally wouldn’t get my cash in the process.
Funny…we’ve been saying for years how great it would be to go back in time — you know — remember the reason for the season and all that. But when we actually do that, we’re messing with the world economy…