Frenzy at the HomeGoods store

[pinkytoe]

Yesterday DH and I stopped to buy coffee while running errands in a different area in town. Unbeknownst to us, it was the grand opening of a HomeGoods store in the same center. I had never even heard of that store so we decided to check it out while there. It was so crowded that staff were herding people like cows through the doors and between aisles. Customers were grabbing things off the shelves as fast as they could. The lines to check out went clear to the back of the store. Needless to say, we got out of there as fast as we could. The parking lot was also a zoo with cars willing to run you over to park so they could go buy stuff. The consumer culture is alive and well here...we couldn't wait to get home.

[CathyA]

I think its mostly China stuff too. I'm getting so that I don't want to go out at all........most of all when the rest of the world is out there.
Around here, some places are advertising "Black Thursday" and "Black Friday" for now, instead of having to wait until the real Black days. :(
I see Walmart (I think its Walmart), are reorganizing their Black Friday so that different departments in the store will have sales throughout the day, so that hopefully people won't get trampled again at the beginning of the day.
Pure Craziness.

[saguaro]

Reading stuff like this makes me so glad I am not working retail anymore. Black Friday was a mandatory work day at my store and it was a total zoo. And that was back in the day before the 2 AM openings, etc. that are going on now.

[oldhat]

Reading stuff like this makes me so glad I am not working retail anymore. Black Friday was a mandatory work day at my store and it was a total zoo. And that was back in the day before the 2 AM openings, etc. that are going on now.

Here's an interesting article (http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2011/11/real-story-behind-black-friday)about the true origins of the term "Black Friday." It looks like you weren't alone in your loathing of the day.

[sweetana3]

I am going to avoid all the stores on Black Friday. In fact, I am packaging our Christmas presents right now and getting them all ready to be mailed for those out of state. Mom's are wrapped or planned since i am making her a new knitting tote bag and accessories.

The stuff on sale is nothing we would want and I am seriously trying to limit electronics, and other retail purchases.

I used to love after Christmas madness in fact once I went out in a blizzard just to be one of the first. Now I can wait a few days and still find paper and bags for even less than 50% off and few crowds.

[artist]

I love our Home Goods. The quality is fairly good (not Walmart junk), selection is excellent, they have unique items and a changing inventory. Love their cooking section. I've gotten good deals. The buzz will die down soon. It's worth checking out when the dust of the "newness" settles.

[CathyA]

I love shopping in mid January. I'm usually the only person in the store. hahaha

[jp1]

On the rare occasions that I actually shop, I love shopping online. As an introvert I just don't get the joy of shopping in a store with other people.

[redfox]

Buy Nothing Day!

http://www.national-awareness-days.com/buy-nothing-day.html (http://www.national-awareness-days.com/buy-nothing-day.html)

[pony mom]

One year I did all (meaning minimal) my Black Friday shopping online. Most places offered free shipping and I got great deals from The Body Shop. All of what I bought were things I would have bought anyway, so I wasn't buying stuff just because it was on sale. Never set food in an actual store.

I like Home Goods. Dunno why, but linen spray is getting harder to find and it's one of the few places that still carries it. Doesn't anyone else like the (fake chemical) smell of scented sheets?

[JaneV2.0]

i'm sure I'd like Home Goods--I'm a fan of TJ Maxx, their sister store--but by the time I found out about one nearby, it was no longer there. I try to stay out of stores for the duration of the holiday season anyway.

[jp1]

I like Home Goods. Dunno why, but linen spray is getting harder to find and it's one of the few places that still carries it. Doesn't anyone else like the (fake chemical) smell of scented sheets?

Generally I prefer no smell to fake smell. I figure 1) fake smell is just an effort to cover up a bad smell instead of getting rid of the bad smell, and 2) I'm sure I breathe enough chemicals in my life already. I don't need to intentionally breathe even more.

The hotel we stay at when visiting my dad always uses a ton of fabreeze in the rooms. And the windows don't open. It's so bad that I'm now in the habit of requesting "no fabreeze" to the front desk clerk every morning.

[Glo]

We love Home Goods. We've bought a lot of our Al Clad cookware there at excellent prices. Lecruset (spell) has excellent prices, too, altho we don't buy that anymore because its too heavy.

[JaneV2.0]

Isn't (good) linen spray just (natural) essential oils and water? And alcohol, apparently: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-linen-sp-25739

[ToomuchStuff]

I only went out on BF once, and that was just to see what it was like. That was enough for me. I did, sucessfully buy something online once, on BF, and that was at almost midnight on Friday (would have been Saturday morning). It was a power tool from a semi active website, (guy only posts online when he has specials), and I still use that power tool (router that should last my lifetime).
There is ONE place I would like to visit on BF, because I expect I would be the ONLY one in line, but they are never open that day. The government office to pay your property taxes (both house and car). It can be done online, but there is something about walking out of there with a receipt, that satisfies me.

[pony mom]

Isn't (good) linen spray just (natural) essential oils and water? And alcohol, apparently: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-linen-sp-25739

Thanks. Never thought of making it myself. I'm addicted to the smell of lilac.

[bunnys]

I've just recently realized that, aside from grocery shopping, shopping for anything is a big pain in the butt. I've gone to 3 stores in the past week looking for new kitchen rugs. Big waste of time. After coming out of the last store, I thought "I'm just going to do all my shopping online from now on." With ebates and free shipping, it's just too much hassle and too life sucking to actually go to the stores.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I've just recently realized that, aside from grocery shopping, shopping for anything is a big pain in the butt.

yea there's things I arguably need, shoes falling apart etc. - almost have a hole, I just don't want to waste precious weekend hours shopping for them. Capitalism will eat itself (because we're too busy working and commuting to even consume properly).


I've gone to 3 stores in the past week looking for new kitchen rugs. Big waste of time. After coming out of the last store, I thought "I'm just going to do all my shopping online from now on." With ebates and free shipping, it's just too much hassle and too life sucking to actually go to the stores

I find most online shopping an INCREDIBLE hassle. Except for the U.S. post office none of them will leave a package at the door and of course I'm away at work. Then I end up driving many miles out of my way (much further than the stores!) to pick up a package, standing in line at Fed Ex or something. Yea it's worse than shopping. However Amazon does ship books through the post office, so happy dance for books on my doorstep.

[martha]

Buy Nothing Day!

http://www.national-awareness-days.com/buy-nothing-day.html (http://www.national-awareness-days.com/buy-nothing-day.html)


I've been celebrating "Buy Nothing Day" on Black Friday for several years now. First learned of it in "Adbusters" magazine and thought it was a great idea and symbolically a way to take a stand.

When co-workers or even friends wax ecstatic about what they're planning to buy and all the stores they intend to hit on that day, if anyone asks my plans, I take the opportunity to tell them that I celebrate "Buy Nothing Day." Sometimes it gives me a brief opening to get in a few points about overconsumption and voluntary simplicity before they're once again caught up in the madness.

[martha]

Except for the U.S. post office none of them will leave a package at the door and of course I'm away at work. Then I end up driving many miles out of my way (much further than the stores!) to pick up a package, standing in line at Fed Ex or something. Yea it's worse than shopping. However Amazon does ship books through the post office, so happy dance for books on my doorstep.

I come home to find UPS packages on my doorstep, as well as USPS from Amazon. Wonder why not where you are?

Amazon has become a major vice for me because of its utter hassle-free-ness. A couple of days ago I took my run-all-over-town shopping list of herbal supplements from the discount drug place, closet dehumidifiers from another store, dog chewies with good-for-the-gums-and-teeth medicine coating from the vet's, the miracle-working back therapy balls mentioned in another thread, a movie that will be a holiday gift, and a few other things and tried Amazon first. Every last item was there and ordered in minutes, with no gasoline burned and me still in my nightshirt. Woot!

I do feel guilty for using Amazon. I want to support small, locally owned businesses, and do for some things. This city has the most wonderful quirky little old-fashioned hardware store with narrow aisles, the store cram-packed with every kind of tool or gizmo you might need, and the staff know what you need for the job you have in mind and will show you how to make it work. And get this - they don't use a cash register. They total the bills by hand on a yellow pad and make change the old-fashioned way - by counting it themselves. This store is a treasure and I want it to survive.

Sadly, every last independently owned bird/fish/reptile store has been run out of business by the big box stores. There used to be two good ones where the owner knew his stock, knew how to keep them healthy and happy, and had good quality equipment and food that you would need to keep them healthy and happy in your home. Places where I could trade in my home-bred and raised tropical fish for credit on food, water chemicals, etc., and where the owner could and was happy to answer your questions about any problem you might be having.

Try that in a Petsmart. I once alerted a teenager wearing a Petsmart uniform that the Double-Yellowhead was out of water. "Huh?" The Amazon, his water bowl is dry. "What?" The BIG GREEN BIRD. He's out of water. "Oh." No move to do anything about it. I tried another teenager at the checkout counter. "It's not my department." Well, whose department is it? "That guy." That's the guy I talked to in the first place. Where's the manager? "Back in there." So I barge "back in there", on a mission by this time and fairly steamed. The manager heard me out and promised to take care of the problem. Another time, same store, there are conures in cages usually occupied by finches, and no one had changed the perches. The conures are on perches many times too small for them, their toes wrapping all the way around and then some. This time when I grabbed an employee and explained the problem, he acknowledged that it was an oversight and that he would take care of it immediately, and did, with me breathing down his neck all the while.

Oops, I seem to have completely hijacked the thread and wandered far afield. I apologize.

As for Buy Nothing Day, I intend to celebrate by relaxing at home, with chamomile tea, a good dog, a good bird, and a good book. Aaaaahhhhh. Bliss.

[JaneV2.0]

I do lots of shopping via Amazon and other on-line vendors (QVC for Clarks shoes), and packages are left on my doorstep. Amazon is local for me, which helps alleviate guilt. I patronize local vendors too.

I'll likely observe Buy Nothing Day again this year.

[SteveinMN]

I've bought a bunch of stuff on-line from several different vendors and, except for valuable consumer electronics, they leave everything at the doorstep. The nice ones put it by the back door, out of sight of the street. And even for the consumer electronics, I'm almost always left with a notice of delivery that allows me to sign away and let them leave it on their next trip out.

[pinkytoe]

After coming out of the last store, I thought "I'm just going to do all my shopping online from now on."
Overall, our online shopping experiences have been good but the last one has turned into a total fiasco. My advice is don't buy a rug online. They don't look anything like what the photos look like. That is the one advantage of buying in person - you can feel, touch, smell it.