As phenomenons go, Black Friday is fairly phenomenal.
For more than 80 years, Black Friday has marked the start of the festive shopping season in the US and been a huge driver of sales for its retailers.
But until four or five years ago, it meant nothing on this side of the Pond.
That was until Asda – owned by the giant American retailer Walmart – decided to bring a little of that Stateside shopping madness to its customers here.
With the group’s enormous buying power and robust logistics, it was a simple and obvious thing for them to do.
After all, it got customers motivated and got the Christmas shopping season – the single most important period of the year – off to a flyer.
Why would they not want to replicate that in the UK?
Initially there was scepticism from both the trade and the buying public to the move.
But when large screen TV’s started to be piled high and sold low then that reticence disappeared overnight.
From nothing, Black Friday’s importance has grown in the UK market to such a level that retailers daren’t get it wrong and miss out.
In more ways than one it has become an annual retail bunfight – remember the midnight store stampedes and police having to wade in to force warring customers apart as they fought over bargains – but it sets tills ringing like little else I can think of.
The return may be worthwhile for the retailers involved, but I have always found the frenzy around Black Friday somewhat distasteful and I worry for staff left with the all-but-impossible task of controlling the scrum.
By allowing such a fevered atmosphere to build, are retail bosses really delivering on the duty of care that they are supposed to discharge towards each employee?
Are they putting profit before the safety of their own workforce and their customers?
Black Friday 2015 was a little calmer in local stores than it was the previous Christmas and I hope that continues.
Remember, a cheap TV is not worth a trip to hospital – or the possibility of a night in a cell and a criminal record.
Think before you shop.
