Europeans Smarter Than North Americans?

Packerjohn

Packerjohn

Packerjohn
Location
Canada
In North America:
NEW YORK — Black Friday enthusiasts woke up before dawn and travelled cross-state to their favourite malls in search of hot deals, kicking off a shortened shopping season that intensified the scramble between U.S. Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In Europe:
In Europe, though, Black Friday drew a backlash from activists, politicians and even consumers who criticized the U.S. shopping phenomenon as capitalism run amok. Climate demonstrators blocked a shopping mall near Paris and gathered in front of Amazon’s headquarters. Workers at Amazon in Germany went on strike for better pay. Some French lawmakers called for banning Black Friday altogether.

When you consider the over population of the world, dwindling resources & the climate change, which part of the world is more in tune with reality?
 

Why do the Europeans even HAVE Black Friday? It is, after all, the day after Thanksgiving, which is a US holiday. And Canada's Thanksgiving is in October. Yeah, I get that it's been adopted as the official start of holiday madness. Those people are just looking for an excuse to demonstrate. Now that I think about it, French lawmakers should ban Black Friday. Strike the entire day from the calendar. Just go right from Thursday to Saturday. That'll fix it. Whatevs.
 
Black Friday is an informal name for the Friday following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. The day after Thanksgiving has been regarded as the beginning of America's Christmas shopping season since 1952, although the term "Black Friday" did not become widely used until more recent decades.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)



Oh, and today is "Small Business Saturday" in the States ... :) < This was an American Express brainchild.
Shop_Small_Logo_2015.jpg
 

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I wonder ? We celebrate Thanksgiving because [we] were thankful to have made the trip across the pond, and escape the church of England.

Do they have a day to celebrate that we are gone??

Black Friday is just another pagan holiday we created for spending money..........I suppose ? the shopping/ spending part sounded good to the Europeans.....so they adopted it.
 
From my Wikipedia site (#3) above:

Since the start of the 21st century, there have been attempts by retailers with origins in the United States to introduce a retail "Black Friday" to other countries around the world. In several countries, local retailers have attempted to promote the day to remain competitive with US-based online retailers.[23]

... Amazon

But 'Black Friday' itself goes back to 1952 in the US.
 
I'm thinking the thread title should have shouted the question, "WHO ARE THE MOST FOOLISH?" Seems like a mighty close race per the OP information.



(Edit ...see that the thread title is no longer in all caps. :))
 
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The U.S. has holidays that most other nations don't celebrate, and the other nations have days that are not celebrated here....no big deal. As for "Black Friday" shopping....we went through that "Zoo" one time, years ago....and never again.
 
Packerjohn said:
In North America:
NEW YORK — Black Friday enthusiasts woke up before dawn and travelled cross-state to their favourite malls in search of hot deals, kicking off a shortened shopping season that intensified the scramble between U.S. Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In Europe:
In Europe, though, Black Friday drew a backlash from activists, politicians and even consumers who criticized the U.S. shopping phenomenon as capitalism run amok. Climate demonstrators blocked a shopping mall near Paris and gathered in front of Amazon’s headquarters. Workers at Amazon in Germany went on strike for better pay. Some French lawmakers called for banning Black Friday altogether.

When you consider the over population of the world, dwindling resources & the climate change, which part of the world is more in tune with reality?
Click to expand...

For me, the big question is...'Why do so many people want to copy the Americans?' Or is it that the Americans try to impose their traditions on the rest of us?
 
It's kind of like when the annual African rains replenish the parched soil. Christmas replenishes the withering peak selling season for US. retailer
And for US retailers, Black Friday is manna from Visa. Europeans don't appreciate Christmas's higher principles, like projected sales versus inventory. In Europe, Christmas is a holiday. In the US, Christmas is a season, when retailers have visions of sugar plum sales figures.
 
Packerjohn said:
In North America:
NEW YORK — Black Friday enthusiasts woke up before dawn and travelled cross-state to their favourite malls in search of hot deals, kicking off a shortened shopping season that intensified the scramble between U.S. Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In Europe:
In Europe, though, Black Friday drew a backlash from activists, politicians and even consumers who criticized the U.S. shopping phenomenon as capitalism run amok. Climate demonstrators blocked a shopping mall near Paris and gathered in front of Amazon’s headquarters. Workers at Amazon in Germany went on strike for better pay. Some French lawmakers called for banning Black Friday altogether.

When you consider the over population of the world, dwindling resources & the climate change, which part of the world is more in tune with reality?
Click to expand...

Who else? America. Gather rosebuds while ye may.
 
Packerjohn said:
In North America:
NEW YORK — Black Friday enthusiasts woke up before dawn and travelled cross-state to their favourite malls in search of hot deals, kicking off a shortened shopping season that intensified the scramble between U.S. Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In Europe:
In Europe, though, Black Friday drew a backlash from activists, politicians and even consumers who criticized the U.S. shopping phenomenon as capitalism run amok. Climate demonstrators blocked a shopping mall near Paris and gathered in front of Amazon’s headquarters. Workers at Amazon in Germany went on strike for better pay. Some French lawmakers called for banning Black Friday altogether.

When you consider the over population of the world, dwindling resources & the climate change, which part of the world is more in tune with reality?
Click to expand...
In tune with reality? No one could ever accuse today's U. S. of being there.
 
"The first recorded use of the term “Black Friday” was applied not to holiday shopping but to financial crisis: specifically, the crash of the U.S. gold market on September 24, 1869."

"The true story behind Black Friday, however, is not as sunny as retailers might have you believe. Back in the 1950s, police in the city of Philadelphia used the term to describe the chaos that ensued on the day after Thanksgiving, when hordes of suburban shoppers and tourists flooded into the city in advance of the big Army-Navy football game held on that Saturday every year. Not only would Philly cops not be able to take the day off, but they would have to work extra-long shifts dealing with the additional crowds and traffic. Shoplifters would also take advantage of the bedlam in stores to make off with merchandise, adding to the law enforcement headache."

https://www.history.com/news/whats-the-real-history-of-black-friday
 
Rosemarie said:
For me, the big question is...'Why do so many people want to copy the Americans?' Or is it that the Americans try to impose their traditions on the rest of us?
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Oh, this is just another one of your trash Americans posts. You don't belong on this friendly site if you can't be friendly. Arrogance is unbecoming. Check out my last reply to you in the other thread where you accused us of being stupid and fat. Post #26 in this thread: https://www.seniorforums.com/thread...today-and-yesterday.44797/page-2#post-1186813
 
I am not familiar with online shopping, especially those international businesses, such as amazon and others,

but I had assumed this is just another example of current sales marketing, and that it crosses borders;

at whenever they run sales in the USA (multiple times each year, timed for very frequent times when shoppers might be wanting them or lured in for them, or just likely to be waiting and watching for the sales specials on things they want to buy)

I assumed those businesses would no longer want to offer a "special lower" price (or one that might appear to be lower) to USA customers than to European shoppers.

Would those in other countries (US citizens or others) want to spend more for the same products?

I didn't think they would, which I thought was the main reason why the sale times in any large country, would be spread to include others in other countries. They shop from many of the same suppliers now, worldwide.

In addition, local businesses in USA AND in Europe, have to compete with those international sellers, i thought.
 
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I haven't ever participated in "Black Friday" sales, but I had thought in the past, it was called that,

due to smaller businesses of the past, were trying to make up for the lack of business at other times of year, and they were/are trying not to go out of business,
by selling more when they can, in the weeks before Christmas for the gift-giving,

thereby business owners were trying to get their business to stay alive, by bringing their financial books into the BLACK, and out of the "red."
 
CarolfromTX said:
Why do the Europeans even HAVE Black Friday? It is, after all, the day after Thanksgiving, which is a US holiday. And Canada's Thanksgiving is in October. Yeah, I get that it's been adopted as the official start of holiday madness. Those people are just looking for an excuse to demonstrate. Now that I think about it, French lawmakers should ban Black Friday. Strike the entire day from the calendar. Just go right from Thursday to Saturday. That'll fix it. Whatevs.
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Well Carol, we have Black Friday because an American company
called Amazon started it a few years ago, unfortunately that got
out of hand, with people fighting over stuff they wanted but with
none left they tried to steal from other shoppers, so Black Friday
became a non shopping day for most of us, it is so bad that with
sales figures down on that particular day, the Black Friday prices
started yesterday and will still be available till after Christmas, so
you can say that you gave us "Black December".

I don't like the crowds, but I do like the prices!

Mike.
 
I don't much care for the huge consumerism that goes under the guise of the "Christmas Spirit" each year. As I grow older, I can't face the crowds, so I get what few things I need early and pick up some gift cards at a nearby place.

Yet I wonder what would happen to the world's economy if it all suddenly... stopped. No one bought a Christmas present.

What would happen?
 
That's a good question to ponder, @RadishRose

I have no idea. But it would have both good effects as well as some negative economic effects, is my guess. :unsure:

We would not likely get all the way to that without a major event, though, is my thought. It would be helpful to scale it back some probably, and way back, for some benefits. Even that would effect some jobs, but to me, it seems way over the top, at this point, to focus as much as is done, on shopping and buying stuff.

Some people still do enjoy holidays of various types, including these, with less purchases, and more modest and personally meaningful observances, many of which are so much fun too.
 
RadishRose said:
I don't much care for the huge consumerism that goes under the guise of the "Christmas Spirit" each year. As I grow older, I can't face the crowds, so I get what few things I need early and pick up some gift cards at a nearby place.

Yet I wonder what would happen to the world's economy if it all suddenly... stopped. No one bought a Christmas present.

What would happen?
Click to expand...

It wouldn't be pretty for a whole lot of people word wide. The economies of the world nation are very much intertwined.
 
So if I understand this whole thing it is now stupid to try to save money shopping for the best bargain when we shop. I just wonder about those that protest this concept how much effort do they put in to getting the best deal when they make a purchase. Merry Christmas Europe.

Sometimes I wish their favorite neightbor Russia could rule over Europe just for a year.
 

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