Early Black Friday violence reported

[Growled Member]

The videos are mostly from Wall Mart.

 

I don't doubt it. They attract that kind of crowd.

[DocM]

Got news for you, it isn't just Wal-Mart and it isn't recent.

I can remember as a 1950's kid going to J.L. Hudson's with my mother and seeing a herd of women stampeding a sale in Women's Wear. Blue Light Specials in the early days of K-Mart did the same thing.

Same old, same old.

[timster]

"Around the world, people fight for freedom. Americans fight for electronics on sale."

 

https://www.facebook.com/BillyBIOHAZARD/posts/766129353400751

[techbeck]

BIG surprise here....

[Atomic Wanderer Chicken]

NBC Philadelphia 

 

 

Black Friday shopping can be hazardous to your health.

One woman apparently used a stun gun on another after an all-out brawl inside of the Franklin Mills Mall in Northeast Philadelphia.

Mike Napolitano was in the mall with two of his friends when they came up on the fight.

"It started out, one couple was fighting with another couple. They had words, the guys got into a fight and then the girls," said Napolitano, who videotaped the melee. "One couple, they were like a family  and all, with a young child in a stroller."

The video shows the two women punching each other and someone in the crowd yelling, "No, stop."

After the two hit the ground, fighting, you can hear the crackle of what sounds like a stun gun and see fluorescent-colored sparks.

"One girl just brought out a taser," the 20-year-old said.

At that point, several people run up and pry the two women apart.

"Then security came over and I kinda left, you know, I was thinking, 'God forbid if somebody has a gun or something,'" Napolitano said.

Mall security confirmed that a fight did break out in the mall around 2:30 a.m.

In a statement to NBC10, mall general manager John Ahle said security acted quickly to take control of the situation.

"An isolated incident occurred in the early morning hours between two female shoppers, that was quickly stopped by our security team, and both women were escorted out of the mall," he said in the statement. "We are committed to the safety of our shoppers, retailers and employees and will not tolerate this unacceptable behavior"

The mall opened at midnight on Black Friday is remaining open for 18 hours. NBC10 was there prior to the opening and dozens of shoppers were already lined up outside, ready to take advantage of the day's deals.

Crime data from Philadelphia Police shows 39 assaults took place at The Franklin Mills mall in 2012. That's up from 32 in 2011. Robberies also jumped from seven to 19 over the two year span.

Photos and Videos

 

 

 

Here's the photo story + video

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Woman-Tased-Mall-Fight-Black-Friday-Philadelphia-233855601.html

[TAZMINATOR]

I went to Wal-Mart briefly on Thursday.

 

 

They had half the store barricaded.

 

I don't get why the food section was blocked up, and had long lines.

 

There seemed to be one employee for every customer !

 

I bought some normal stuff and got out while I still could :p

 

That's the reason I shop for food early before BF.. or wait after BF is over.

 

Stores around here that they have cops standing by in case people gone crazy or shoplifting.

[MDboyz]

I miss the old days of Black Friday.  We stood in line waiting and talking about interesting stuffs from previous ones with others.  Even when the door opened, we rushed in by order.  This is why I stopped going to Black Friday.  It's just sad that we are becoming like third world Countries now.

[Rohdekill]

I think they need to start advertising it as Black & Blue Friday from now on.

 

Who else is with me in thinking it's time to have a law that all stores be closed on Thanksgiving/Black Friday and ONLY have on-line deals?

[DocM]

A few states have done that, though the constitutionality is iffy.

[Angelic Marge]

[Hum]

NEW JERSEY (MYFOXNY.COM) -

A Thanksgiving shopper is facing criminal charges after police say she pulled a stun gun in a dispute over a shopping cart outside of a Walmart store.

Police say it happened Thursday at about 7:18 p.m. at the Walmart in Linden, N.J.

Officers assigned to the store were alerted to a dispute in the parking lot between two women. An on-duty Linden Fire Department captain on scene monitoring the crowd situation told an officer that one of the women had a stun gun.

Police spoke to a victim, a 42 year old from Staten Island, who told officers that she and another woman were having an argument over a shopping cart when the other woman pulled out a stun gun and activated it in a threatening manner.

Police say the woman with the stun gun, Latosha Mathis, 34, of Elizabeth, N.J. was arrested after officers found the TW-11 stun gun in her purse.

She was charged with illegal possession of a stun gun, and is due back in court on December 6, 2013.  She faces up to 18 months in jail and a $10,000 fine.

http://www.myfoxny.com/story/24102642/cops-woman-pulls-stun-gun-in-fight-over-walmart-shopping-cart
 

[episode]

It's just sad that we are becoming like third world Countries now.

 

You don't know what a third world country is like. Seriously. Fights/deaths/etc over a discount on a crappy item is clearly a first world problem.

[episode]

I think they need to start advertising it as Black & Blue Friday from now on.

 

Who else is with me in thinking it's time to have a law that all stores be closed on Thanksgiving/Black Friday and ONLY have on-line deals?

 

That 'law' does nothing. It would just move to Saturday. 

[Growled Member]

Who else is with me in thinking it's time to have a law that all stores be closed on Thanksgiving/Black Friday and ONLY have on-line deals?

 

I am against passing laws like that. I don't think it's the government's place to tell a store when they can open. 

[Rohdekill]

That 'law' does nothing. It would just move to Saturday. 

 

I'm talking about a law or merely the agreement by the major stores that all Black Friday door buster deals and major mark downs occur ONLY online.  If people want to line up to shop for items at the same price they are every other day then they are welcome to do just that.  But this insane trampling and fighting like a pack of wolves over cheap, mark down items needs to end.  The best way to do that is remove the deals from the store.  No insanity, no need for additional staff, no need for additional tax payer costs for added police, no one gets hurt.

[episode]

I'm talking about a law or merely the agreement by the major stores that all Black Friday door buster deals and major mark downs occur ONLY online.  If people want to line up to shop for items at the same price they are every other day then they are welcome to do just that.  But this insane trampling and fighting like a pack of wolves over cheap, mark down items needs to end.  The best way to do that is remove the deals from the store.  No insanity, no need for additional staff, no need for additional tax payer costs for added police, no one gets hurt.

 

You must be drunk. How would that law read? 'Brick and mortar stores are no longer allowed to put items on sale!'?

[Rohdekill]

You must be drunk. How would that law read? 'Brick and mortar stores are no longer allowed to put items on sale!'?

Simple:

 

- Stores must stock enough of each item on sale to accomodate a minimum xx% of expected customers based on last year numbers

 

- Sale items exceeding xx% off suggested retail value may only be available for on-line purchase

[episode]

Simple:

 

- Stores must stock enough of each item on sale to accomodate a minimum xx% of expected customers based on last year numbers

 

- Sale items exceeding xx% off suggested retail value may only be available for on-line purchase

 

You don't see the problem with EITHER of those?

[Orange]

Same thing happened over here in England... why o why..

[Rohdekill]

You don't see the problem with EITHER of those?

 Not really, no.

 

Stores have centralized warehouses.  Shipments move overnight.  There's absolutely no excuse for places like Best Buy to have only 3-5 Xbox1's in a store for 500+ people.  If they only get a shipment of 50 from MS, then you keep it in the warehouse and 50 are available on-line.  Else, you stock enough expected for that day, restock for the next day, etc.

 

How hard is it to figure out % over suggested retail value?  It's not like the store is losing sales.  A consumer buying from ABC company online as opposed to walking into their store still gives ABC his/her money.

 

People have tried everything to control the mob mentality...yet nothing works.  And nothing has resolved the issues with people walking out of these stores and getting a gun shoved in their face.  By far, the safest method is to remove the element which creates the mob and deliver straight to peoples' doorsteps.  On-line resolves this.

 

Instead of criticizing, why not suggest your 'better' solution?

[episode]

 Not really, no.

 

Stores have centralized warehouses.  Shipments move overnight.  There's absolutely no excuse for places like Best Buy to have only 3-5 Xbox1's in a store for 500+ people.  If they only get a shipment of 50 from MS, then you keep it in the warehouse and 50 are available on-line.  Else, you stock enough expected for that day, restock for the next day, etc.

 

How hard is it to figure out % over suggested retail value?  It's not like the store is losing sales.  A consumer buying from ABC company online as opposed to walking into their store still gives ABC his/her money.

 

People have tried everything to control the mob mentality...yet nothing works.  And nothing has resolved the issues with people walking out of these stores and getting a gun shoved in their face.  By far, the safest method is to remove the element which creates the mob and deliver straight to peoples' doorsteps.  On-line resolves this.

 

Instead of criticizing, why not suggest your 'better' solution?

 

You are pushing a 'solution' to a problem that doesn't need fixing. Not in the way you think. If people want to be morons, they are going to be morons. You can't stop stupid.

 

Using a non-sale item isn't a good example, first, so consoles are out. 

If you want to talk about the crappy $200 laptop, then start there. Is there a reason they only have a few of those? Yes. Because they are losing money on them and only selling them to get people in the door. And yes, when you have say 4500 Walmart stores in the US, at 5 each thats 22,500 of that item. And they guaranteed far more than that this year. 

 

How long do you want your '% over retail' to last? Two days? Then the sale would be the day after, and you have the same problem. Forever? Thats not even remotely smart.

[Growled Member]

Simple:

 

- Stores must stock enough of each item on sale to accomodate a minimum xx% of expected customers based on last year numbers

 

- Sale items exceeding xx% off suggested retail value may only be available for on-line purchase

 

I guess while you are at it you should get the government to set the price on each item as well.

[+LogicalApex MVC]

You are pushing a 'solution' to a problem that doesn't need fixing. Not in the way you think. If people want to be morons, they are going to be morons. You can't stop stupid.

 

Using a non-sale item isn't a good example, first, so consoles are out. 

If you want to talk about the crappy $200 laptop, then start there. Is there a reason they only have a few of those? Yes. Because they are losing money on them and only selling them to get people in the door. And yes, when you have say 4500 Walmart stores in the US, at 5 each thats 22,500 of that item. And they guaranteed far more than that this year. 

 

How long do you want your '% over retail' to last? Two days? Then the sale would be the day after, and you have the same problem. Forever? Thats not even remotely smart.

If they are losing money on those sale items then they are doing it wrong. Very few companies lose money on Black Friday sales.

[Growled Member]

If they are losing money on those sale items then they are doing it wrong. Very few companies lose money on Black Friday sales.

 

They lose money on a few items just to draw people into the store. Most studies have shown that people don't want to go home empty handed, so they purchase something while they are out. The store easily makes up for the lose of a few items.

[+LogicalApex MVC]

They lose money on a few items just to draw people into the store. Most studies have shown that people don't want to go home empty handed, so they purchase something while they are out. The store easily makes up for the lose of a few items.

As the WSJ did a great job reporting last week... The retailers have stopped offering below cost discounts and instead work with manufacturers to get to a price point that allows them to still make a profit. They also use the infamous "% off" trick where they only list "MSRP" as the normal price even though they never sell at MSRP. Allowing them to advertise extreme discounts when the real discount may be negligible at best.

 

There is a reason the sales are so wide spread. No one is losing money, but taking advantage of the consumers who think they are getting a bargain.