About Young Voices
Our team of young bloggers comments on culture, politics and the world today.
Subscribe
RSS FeedOur Bloggers
RECENT COMMENTS
“Hola Tamika, I've spent many hours meditating on the rocks at Isla Negra. In fact my documentary on Neruda just received a grant from Latino Public Broadcasting, so hopefully it...”
“Government takeover of the health care system is the worse thing that can happen. Remember the story of how the government incorrectly gave out $98 million to government contractors? Look...”
“Jeremy, "time has told" that Susan Boyle's 15 minutes are clearly not up and will not be for some time. Best of luck to you and that your 15 minutes...”
ARCHIVES
E-mail a friendHoliday Buyer Beware
Holiday shoppers should take a careful look at store's availability of Black Friday merchandise
CNN Money.com reports that while some retailers are luring customers into their stores this holiday season with teaser ads for great products, these too good to pass up bargains may be virtually gone before you ever get to the store.
Ads like these usually employ subtle words such as "limited quantities" or "while supplies last."
To the casual listener, that doesn't sound so bad, right? Well, what if there are only 3 of these spectacular items per store throughout the country when store circulars are reaching tens of thousands of potential customers in one of the most heightened shopping times of the year?
That could actually cause a problem. Think about all of those store goers who re-route their entire holiday shopping schedule just for a chance to get those coveted items on their list that won't even be there by the time they reach the store. That is definitely not the way I imagine most folks would want to spend their holidays.
For most shopping enthusiasts who simply adore Black Friday shopping, they probably won't be swayed from keeping up with other bargain hunters who want the same exact digital camera in the store at four o'clock in the morning. I mean, let's face it -- some traditions will never die.
For others looking to scrape together a couple bucks and get something nice for a loved one, I feel like some stores and Websites may be misleading folks by doing this. We all want to have a great holiday season and get a few great buys under our belt along the way, but in this economic roller coaster we're all in the middle of, the last things we can afford to waste are our time and money.
My advice would be to call the store a day or two in advance and ask them how many items they expect to have in stock. It is certainly no guarantee, but it beats waking up early for nothing.
What are your thoughts?