Everybody Loves A Deal

Everybody loves a deal. Whether shopping for a home, a car, a pair of shoes or a pack of gum, the right product at the right price is hard to pass up. In fact, the Black Friday electronics hunt has become as much a tradition for my son and I as is the Thanksgiving deer hunt for many of my friends. Often without a specific product in mind, we merely look for a deal. There's always something to be had.

I was reminded the other day of "Miracle on 34th Street" where Macy's and Gimble's attempt to outsmart their competitors by sending customers to the other store when a particular item is out of stock. Sales boom when the inevitable positive PR avalanche ensues.

I went to Walmart the other day to purchase a new release on Blu Ray. Thinking I was going to the store with the best price, I was caught in a predicament upon discovering that theirs was not the least expensive location (it's a long walk to the back of a Walmart). Without hesitation, the sales associate went to the register, pulled out a binder with all of the competitor's ads and found the location with the best price. She then honored that price which represented about a 20% discount.

I thanked her for her help and left a happy customer. They apparently have figured out that 80% of something is better than 100% of nothing. I, in turn, have a heightened commitment to visit Walmart 1st, when I can, in the hunt for movies and electronics. With Blu Ray in hand, the Christmas season shifted into gear about the same time as the local FM station started playing non-stop George Michael and Brenda Lee Christmas tunes.

I heard on the news this morning that a family started camping in front of a store in anticipation of Black Friday, 8 days before the event. While my family will not be spending our nights in a tent in front of Walmart, we will head that way on the day after Thanksgiving in search of a deal.