"Chambers" <ben### [at] pacificwebguycom> wrote in message
news:E3215A229B3F40E9BAB2DA884CD73F02@HomePC...

> > With all due respect, that's nonsense. No retailer operates with one
> > month
> > net profits and 11 months of losses (none that stays in business for
> > more
> > than a year anyway). It's a myth.

> With all due respect, I'm well aware of the realities of business.  I
> was offering that paragraph as an explanation for my non-US friends who
> might not know what "Black Friday" is.

It doesn't help to misinform them with an untrue retailer sob story.

> Did you even read the rest of my post?  If I'm pissed off and depressed
> about rampant consumerism leading to the *deaths* of innocent people, do
> you think I effing care about details like what kind of profit margin
> retailers normally take in?

I don't disagree with the rest of your post. The original (and correct)
meaning of the Black Friday was just that anyway, stampedes, traffic jams,
crowds behaving like anglry cattle... etc.

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On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 22:16:35 -0000, Chambers <ben### [at] pacificwebguycom> wrote:

> (For those who don't know, Black Friday refers to the last Friday in
> November in the US, and it is the single busiest shopping day of the
> year.  Traditionally, most retailers either make very poor profits, or
> actually lose money, all year until that day.  That is, all year long
> they're "in the red," until they begin turning a profit on this day,
> when they're "in the black").

As Andrew mentioned it's something we only see here during big stupid  
sales "£200 now £10 for first two customers only" type of thing which  
happen either at the New Year Sales or at an opening event.

The footfall traffic here seems to start the week before Xmas and then  
builds as everyone realises that the stores will be closed for an entire  
day and get in enough food to feed an army for a week. Highly justified in  
that if you don't the shelves will be as depleted as you mention when you  
do want something; oh wait self-fullfilling prophecy.

Wonder what it'll be like this year with the doom & gloom?

-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

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Phil Cook v2 wrote:

> The footfall traffic here seems to start the week before Xmas and then 
> builds as everyone realises that the stores will be closed for an entire 
> day and get in enough food to feed an army for a week. Highly justified 
> in that if you don't the shelves will be as depleted as you mention when 
> you do want something; oh wait self-fullfilling prophecy.

Ah yes, ye olde "OMG, I MUST BUY ENOUGH FOOD TO LAST OUT A NUCLEAR WINTER!"

Sure, you have people coming to visit you. You need a little extra food. 
But 3 trolleys? WTF??

Hint: Even 9 people aren't going to eat all that lot in 7 days. :-P

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Phil Cook v2 wrote:

...and now I'm wondering in what way Phil Cook v2 is an improvement on 
the old v1 model... ;-)

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Invisible wrote:
> Phil Cook v2 wrote:
> 
> ...and now I'm wondering in what way Phil Cook v2 is an improvement on
> the old v1 model... ;-)

Why are you v8?

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On Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:53:00 -0200, Nicolas Alvarez <nic### [at] gmailcom>
wrote:

>Invisible wrote:
>> Phil Cook v2 wrote:
>> 
>> ...and now I'm wondering in what way Phil Cook v2 is an improvement on
>> the old v1 model... ;-)
>
>Why are you v8?

Because he's not firing on all cylinders :)
-- 

Regards
     Stephen

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And lo on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:35:29 -0000 Invisible <voi### [at] devnull> did  
spake:

> Phil Cook v2 wrote:
>
> ...and now I'm wondering in what way Phil Cook v2 is an improvement on  
> the old v1 model... ;-)

More room in the boot.

-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

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Invisible wrote:
> Ah yes, ye olde "OMG, I MUST BUY ENOUGH FOOD TO LAST OUT A NUCLEAR WINTER!"

Yeah. We had a snow-storm warning when I was in NJ, and when I went to the 
giant food store, with one entire row (say, 80 feet of aisle) dedicated to 
bread, there was none left.  Nutso.

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   The NFL should go international. I'd pay to
   see the Detroit Lions vs the Roman Catholics.

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Darren New wrote:

> Yeah. We had a snow-storm warning when I was in NJ, and when I went to 
> the giant food store, with one entire row (say, 80 feet of aisle) 
> dedicated to bread, there was none left.  Nutso.

Oh, that's cute.

On the other hand, our local Tesco *never* seems to have any bread left 
on sale. Every single time I go there, only a couple of loaves left. Why?

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On Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:04:00 -0800, Chambers wrote:

> With all due respect, I'm well aware of the realities of business.  I
> was offering that paragraph as an explanation for my non-US friends who
> might not know what "Black Friday" is.

I also know a thing or two about retail business, and most retail 
businesses, if they operated this way, would be out of business.

> Did you even read the rest of my post?  If I'm pissed off and depressed
> about rampant consumerism leading to the *deaths* of innocent people, do
> you think I effing care about details like what kind of profit margin
> retailers normally take in?

I agree, though, that this is the more appalling part of the story.  
However, that said, the reports I saw confirmed that the pregnant lady 
did not miscarry, that this was misreported in earlier reports.

The shooting at Toys R Us was reported to be gang-related and not related 
to shopping, confirmed by several eyewitnesses.

Jim

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