Blogging has been slow these past few days because Mitch and I were in our respective Thanksgiving slow-down modes. But given that most of the news of the past week focused on Black Friday and its attendant windfall for consumer electronics makers, I thought I’d share my own Black Friday experience.
While visiting my family in Stuart, Florida, I did something I’ve never done before — arise before dawn to scoop up some Black Friday specials. In particular, I wanted the unbelievably low-priced HP Pavilion laptop WalMart was hawking for $389 per unit, a steal that first caught my attention via Engadget one month ago.
We arrived at WalMart shortly before the doors opened at 5 a.m., with about 100 people ahead of us in line. Upon arriving at the Electronics department at 5:03 a.m., I was informed that all the laptops had been sold, all fifteen alotted to the store that is. When I pointed out that at least twelve of these prizes were still stacked on the floor behind the counter, the salesman told me that they had “already been sold.” Why would anyone who was lucky enough to receive one of the easily carried laptops leave them behind the electronics counter?
Shame on WalMart for heavily marketing the low-priced laptops via widespread print and TV promotions only to stock this store, and I suspect all other stores, with enough of the product to last less than three minutes after opening. Shame on WalMart for making me rise at the inconceivable hour of 4 a.m. and making me step foot in a store that I rarely patronize.
I’d love to hear from any other folks about their experiences in trying to buy the HP Pavilion laptop from WalMart on Black Friday. Please drop me a line.
Cynthia Brumfield at 1:59 PM|Comments(3)
I'm a columnist for the Times Herald-Record in New York's Hudson Valley. Just wrote a column on this topic.
http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2005/11/29/walmart2.htm
Posted by: Christine Young at November 29, 2005 11:38 AM
I too broke my streak of not participating in the “Black Friday” spectacle to pick up a “free” Sirius satellite receiver at Circuit City. I was lucky enough to be one of the 12 people who wanted that item, which was still there. I think CC stocked the same amount of 15 or so laptops. They were offering a Toshiba model for around $300 or so. When I was checking out, thankfully so, the cashier said that some lady was punched over the laptop! After walking around and observing the madness, I figured out their tactic. They lure people in with the deep discount big ticket items which they don’t stack enough of. Once the consumer finds that the item they wanted is all gone, they’ll impulsively buy other items because they are on ‘sale’ and they feel they have to justify getting up at the crack of dawn. You should have seen the $8 dollar DVD bins. They way these people mauled through the DVDs you would of though they were on a game show attempting to find the million dollar prize!
Posted by: Brandon at November 29, 2005 8:45 AM
I was there too, but not for the HP computer. I went along with my sister to get some things for her son. One of which was a Leap Pad system for 25.00. We got one, and at the register it rang up at double the price. We then had to deal with a less than pleasant Walmart employee insist that we got an identical Leap Pad from the wrong side of the store (they had the 25.00 Leap Pads on one side and the "regular price" ones in the toy section) Nevermind that they were IDENTICAL and that the sign actually said, under the display that it was indeed 25.00.
We witnessed police at this Walmart (Scranton Pennsylvania) breaking up fights. People screaming at each other, an older woman getting knocked down in the rush once the doors were opened.
It was crazy!
I'm not a fan of Walmart myself and rarely go there. My sister however, buys everything there. I think she may have turned on them though. Our experience there was that unpleasant (there is a lot more to the story!)
Posted by: Carla at November 27, 2005 5:20 PM
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