All photos courtesy of: MCT Photo
FEATURE
Giving thanks for low prices MAX TOREM news chief 176003@sycamoreschools.org
T
hanksgiving is a time to be with family, appreciate life, and, well, give thanks. People love Thanksgiving because it is a time to be happy. It is a time to relax and take in the moment. Millions of people in the United States celebrate this holiday, but in recent years the feast has not been the main attraction. Shopping has been a fan favorite of the holiday weekend for decades. People line up outside of stores, some even camp out the night before, to get the best deals on just about anything. The day after Thanksgiving, infamously known as ‘Black Friday’, has begun to make people happier and more excited about Thanksgiving weekend than the holiday itself. Surely you have heard the horror stories of lines that take hours and hours, people having to camp out in tents
to get the best deals, and in extreme cases, death. But fear not. In a few years, Black Friday will be smothered by another Thanksgiving festivity that has Internet shoppers happier than ever. Receiving its name due to the date on which it occurs, Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving) has taken America by storm. Over the past few years, online traffic has seen a significant increase. It is much easier for consumers to take advantage of all of the online offers from their bedrooms, but does the comfort level even compare to the importance of the low prices?
In most stores there are things called “doorbuster deals”. These are store specific items that are not available via online purchase, and they are usually the best deals that are offered by the store or corporation. If not for doorbusters, Black Friday would likely be a thing of the past, and that is exactly what companies are hoping for. The increase in online activity does nothing but make the online merchants filled with joy. If a shopper goes to a website, as opposed to going into the store to make purchases, they are likely to see more products than they would see in the
store. More products viewed equates to a greater chance of more products sold. But even with doorbusters still alive and well, online traffic for stores and businesses continue to skyrocket each year. Cyber Monday is taking over Thanksgiving weekend just like Black Friday did so many years ago. We are in the age of technology and this is simply the direction shopping is going. Before too long, online shopping will be the most popular form of shopping in the world.
By posting doorbusting prices on their websites, stores make the shopping spree much easier for both sides. Store employees do not have to worry about controlling riot s taking place outside of their stores. Consumers can do research and make purchases all without having to leave the comfort of their home. THE LEAF|November 18, 2016|SHSLEAF.ORG |17