Black Friday causes stress

Black Friday is coming and retail employees don’t need the added stress.

Many students work retail and are currently juggling studying for exams, the end of the term, personal lives and their jobs. With the looming possibility of a transit strike, employers are reminding their employees that they “are responsible for [their] shifts” post- secondary institutions aren’t planning on cancelling classes, students who work in retail are feeling the pressure.

Now with the general end of semester stress, the added question of “how am I going to get to class and work” is stressing me out, and my coworkers.

Opinion

A Retail Council of Canada survey published earlier this month stated that nearly 43% of Canadians will be going to a black Friday shopping trip.

Unless Black Friday is a good opportunity to get Christmas shopping out of the way with an incredible savings there isn’t a point.

November and December are busy months for retailers. There will always be sales before Christmas.

The only difference between Black Friday and other sales is the hype.

But Black Friday is an American tradition, happening after American Thanksgiving, which is over a month after Canadian Thanksgiving.

Apart from the fact that it is noted to be a day of sales, Black Friday holds no context in Canada.

Much like Boxing Day, Black Friday has morphed from one day of deals to an entire weekend, oozing into Cyber Monday, giving consumers endless possibilities to submit to the retail overlords.

So that after the Black Friday frenzy has worn off they can work extra shifts to pay off their credit card bills. Christmas is coming, Boxing Day is coming, you don’t need more stuff, but you do need to save money to buy other people more stuff.