Black Friday Sales?

[joncnunn]

What is this Black Friday thing about? It`s everywhere!

Is this some special business idea cooked up to sell more things?

Origin of this is the commercialization of Christmas. As recently as the 1930s, the first socially acceptable day for Christmas themes to go up was the day after Thanksgiving. Big department stores placed the discounts to jump start the Christmas season.
The name "Black Friday" itself is because from Jan 1 until thanksgiving, the retail company hadn't yet made enough money to cover their total annual expenses, but on that day would bring in enough money that they were now in the black. (A similar concept is used for Tax Freedom day)

 

[Socratatus]

Origin of this is the commercialization of Christmas. As recently as the 1930s, the first socially acceptable day for Christmas themes to go up was the day after Thanksgiving. Big department stores placed the discounts to jump start the Christmas season.
The name "Black Friday" itself is because from Jan 1 until thanksgiving, the retail company hadn't yet made enough money to cover their total annual expenses, but on that day would bring in enough money that they were now in the black. (A similar concept is used for Tax Freedom day)

So this must be an American thing then. Since this is the first I heard of `black friday`, it certainly wasn`t around 10 or 20 years ago and Thanksgiving (when that is) is still a bit of a mystery to me.

But thanks anyway

 

[Sonereal]

Yes it is. G&K is just a war fest which the AI has major advantages. In BNW the AI is more likely to be friendly early on as trade is more important. Coupled with the new culture system you'll find yourself winning more. I suggest you get it.

It isn't that the AI is more friendly, but a tad smarter. Early on, most incomes are largely from trade routes and unless you have enough trade options, you can't really go to war with your neighbor. The AI tried not to get into a war that puts it in the red.

 

[Smokeybear]

So this must be an American thing then. Since this is the first I heard of `black friday`, it certainly wasn`t around 10 or 20 years ago and Thanksgiving (when that is) is still a bit of a mystery to me.

But thanks anyway

Well, American retailers are no doubt the most hardcore and blatant about the public glorification of 'black friday' starting the day after Thanksgiving, but I'm sure any majority-Christian western civilization where the purchasing of presents for Christmas is a tradition, has this same economic mechanic going on in their retailing systems. Just get by for most of the year, then finally make decent profit and break into the 'black' during the year-end holiday gift-buying season leading up to Christmas. I am entirely disgusted with how far into the surreal it has gotten in the states, though. I'm not anti-capitalist by any means, but black friday is just nuts.

 

[otaman1]

What even is thanksgiving?

A day where Americans eat turkey. That's all I basically know. At least Steam Sales affect everyone else that don't celebrate Thanksgiving.

 

[Sonereal]

A day where Americans eat turkey. That's all I basically know.

That's basically all you need to know really.

 

[Socratatus]

That's basically all you need to know really.

So we eat Turkey at Christmas, so what do Americans eat at Christmas if they already had Turkey at Thanksgiving?

Thanks for the explain, Smokeybear, btw.

p.s. I do think capitalism has gone too far these days. As far as I can tell, it`s not about breaking even or making a profit- it`s about making a profit on top of a profit +!

 

[Sonereal]

So we eat Turkey at Christmas, so what do Americans eat at Christmas if they already had Turkey at Thanksgiving?

A lot of Americans eat ham. I prefer turkey on Christmas again because I don't eat pork. I was pushing for spaghetti last year, but some traditions die hard.

I'm an American. AMA!

 

[Drakarska]

That's basically all you need to know really.

You forgot about the NFL glorification

So we eat Turkey at Christmas, so what do Americans eat at Christmas if they already had Turkey at Thanksgiving?

Turkey/Ham/Pot Roast.... Most of the time it's turkey. Leftovers are great

Thanks for the explain, Smokeybear, btw.

p.s. I do think capitalism has gone too far these days. As far as I can tell, it`s not about breaking even or making a profit- it`s about making a profit on top of a profit +!

 

[otaman1]

So we eat Turkey at Christmas, so what do Americans eat at Christmas if they already had Turkey at Thanksgiving?

Where are you from? Americans eat whatever on Christmas, I think.

 

[direblade99]

I know that here in Australia we have turkey for Christmas, but there's no black friday or anything of the kind from the sound of it, Christmas stuff just starts appearing in the corners of stores in like october and slowly spreads out until it's everywhere by Christmas

 

[Drakarska]

I know that here in Australia we have turkey for Christmas, but there's no black friday or anything of the kind from the sound of it, Christmas stuff just starts appearing in the corners of stores in like october and slowly spreads out until it's everywhere by Christmas

Hmnn. Ask Wal Mart to set up shop in a major city. Watch local stores go under do to corp greed. Have Sam's finest keep the wages at minimum poverty index, and then have a Holiday sale guaranteed to bring out the basest greed in people just so Wally world can rake in a couple more percentage points for their end of quarter sales.

Black Friday at it's glorious best.

TBF, quite a few other corps do it as well. But Good Ol' Sam is the most blatant about it.

 

[Sonereal]

Hmnn. Ask Wal Mart to set up shop in a major city. Watch local stores go under do to corp greed. Have Sam's finest keep the wages at minimum poverty index, and then have a Holiday sale guaranteed to bring out the basest greed in people just so Wally world can rake in a couple more percentage points for their end of quarter sales.

Black Friday at it's glorious best.

TBF, quite a few other corps do it as well. But Good Ol' Sam is the most blatant about it.

Forgot to mention the part where Wal-Mart expects employees to donate to charities to help other employees.

 

[otaman1]

Forgot to mention the part where Wal-Mart expects employees to donate to charities to help other employees.

And give out free stuff whilst "Americans" fight for it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFFqUdToBGc

 

[Sonereal]

I bet those people paid for cash too.

Thanks a lot for paying for your goods in cash. In the future, use a card like the rest of the civilized world so I'm not waiting twenty-five minutes to buy wax for my car because I erroneously believed waiting until two in the afternoon would let me escape the worst of the Black Friday shoppers.

 

[Drakarska]

I bet those people paid for cash too.

Thanks a lot for paying for your goods in cash. In the future, use a card like the rest of the civilized world so I'm not waiting twenty-five minutes to buy wax for my car because I erroneously believed waiting until two in the afternoon would let me escape the worst of the Black Friday shoppers.

You actually went OUT on Black Friday? :suicide:

Wow! I salute your bravery Good Sir. Thank the Civ Gods you made back in one piece!

 

[Sonereal]

You actually went OUT on Black Friday? :suicide:

Wow! I salute your bravery Good Sir. Thank the Civ Gods you made back in one piece!

It was only Kmart, and nobody really shops at Kmart.

Except that Friday. Went from being a usual ghost town to a zombie town. I'm sure by tomorrow all the spirits will be back at rest and Kmart will be the dead zone I know and love.

The drive was awful though. Hoosiers barely drive competently as is, but tell them there be deals in yonder hills and all of a sudden it is bumper cars.

 

[Camikaze]

Moderator Action: Please take the off-topic chatter to the off-topic forum - we have two, so please use them!

 

[Sequitor]

Both scrambled map packs are available today on Steam for 75% off. Most of the other DLC's are similarly discounted.

 

[otaman1]

I just want the "Bison" DLC to come out before this Steam Sale thing ends.