Thankshopping

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Media by Denee Menghini

Written by Lexi Bassinger, Madeline Kohlberg, and Denee Menghini. Media by Denee Menghini.

The Features writers are so excited to have the opportunity to work together to tell you all about a classic holiday tradition. Shopping. The good, the bad, and the ugly, we’ve covered all parts of the holiday we’ve unofficially named “Thankshopping.” 

Black Friday

Your stomach is full with turkey and stuffing, you have barely gotten over the food coma that eating the Thanksgiving meal put you in, after only a few hours of sleep, your sister shakes you awake. It’s time to go sit outside in the cold and attempt to take advantage of the sales that arise on the infamous Black Friday.

Media from forbes.com
Media from forbes.com

It comes at the end of a season of thanks. Just one day ago, or maybe only hours ago, everyone was sitting around the table, sharing what they were thankful for over the past year. Of course businesses would take advantage of that attitude and, the day after Thanksgiving, decide to give people a chance to buy more things to be thankful for.

Black Friday is a holiday that can bring families together, but it can drive people apart as well. While some families bond over creating plans on which store to go to at what time, other people are trampled for moving too slow in the initial rush to enter the store. There is something really saddening about that. To see that someone died due to a rush to purchase material goods shows that our culture sometimes values stuff over people.

Don’t get me wrong, the deals are great and spending time with family is a wonderful way to spend the holidays. I went on my first Black Friday experience a few years ago with my sister and her friend and had a great time just people watching. I just think that we have to make sure that we understand that stuff is not more important the people.

Small Business Saturday

While Black Friday is becoming one of the most controversial days of the year, few can find reasons not to support Small Business Saturday.  The initiative began in 2010 and is supported by the Small Business Association, as well as many shoppers looking to support local businesses. American Express, the creative minds behind the event, even go as far as offering cardholders $10 credits when they spend $10 at a participating business.

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Media from downtownfranklintn.com

On this day, shoppers are encouraged to support local and independent vendors when purchasing holiday gifts.  The holiday is very new, but many small businesses have reported great sales numbers from the day.  Social media is also a large part of the day as shoppers Tweet about their day using the hashtag #SmallBusinessSaturday.

There are many benefits for shoppers as well.  Many stores get creative with their deals, which provide incentive for shoppers to stop in.  Not to mention the satisfaction that can come from knowing you were able to support a local vendor instead of spending all of your dollars at big box stores.

Cyber Monday

For those of us who’d rather stay indoors while saving on our Christmas shopping, there’s always Cyber Monday. Serving as one of the kickoff dates of the holiday shopping season, Cyber Monday is steadily gaining popularity. What’s not to love when you can get fantastic deals and never have to leave the

comfort of your own home, after you’ve been thoroughly worn out by the excitement of Black Friday and Small-Business Saturday?

The term “Cyber Monday” was originally created by shop.org as a marketing term, trying to gain interest and customers during this busy retail period. While this day is not the only day of the holiday season that

Media from markwilliamsinternational.com
Media from markwilliamsinternational.com

promotes shopping deals, it allows retailers to get their online season started, getting ready for the big shopping days as December moves forward. If you know where to look, you can get some pretty incredible deals.

It has to be said that one of the downsides of this intense shopping day would be the potential for thieves to get ahold of your information. Make sure that you’re using your head, and only giving your money to reputable sites. Keep your eyes open, and remember that if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is!

So, whichever shopping day you prefer, remember to have a safe, happy holiday season!

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