Waiting in horrendous lines Thanksgiving night in service of amazing deals is an annual tradition. It had to be worth it, right?
Think again.
In fact, Black Friday, much like many other made-up “holidays,” is simply another marketing gimmick pulled by American corporations to practice their right to capitalism and reap the benefits of obligatory holiday spending.
For example, popular online shopping sites such as Fashion Nova have gotten called out by twitter users for jacking up the price of their merchandise and then offering unusually high discounts.
According to an article from Business Insider — “some retailers will inflate their prices leading up to Black Friday weekend so that their subsequent discounts seems more appealing by comparison”.
If that alone is not convincing enough to boycott the holiday, consider the psychological aspects.
Think about it — whether you’re waiting in long lines at Target or even shopping online, chances are you’re not sure what you’re going in for; you just know you’re gonna get some sweet deals.
However, in many instances, you’ll find yourself putting things in your cart that you would otherwise both be tempted to buy if you hadn’t come to the store or website for such “great deals” in the first place.
To simplify, the select few eye-catching items you may find on sale are usually not as great a deal as you may have thought — but end up pulling you into the store or website anyway.
Don’t get played for a fool; create a budget, get your holiday shopping done early and avoid being a part of this tradition at all costs.
