Costly Savings
Overview
The day following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, corrects for the out of place joy the holiday brings to the dreary wintertime by completely opposing its basic principles. Where Thanksgiving brings appreciation and contemplation, Black Friday brings an insatiable appetite and a total disregard for others. While the dangers and rewards of Black Friday may often be exaggerated, total success will be a challenge. With enough planning and preparation any Black Friday goals can be achieved. In less dramatic terms, Black Friday is the Friday immediately following Thanksgiving. The “holiday” is recognized by retailers nationwide as a day to offer the best deals as a kickoff to the holiday shopping season. Offering outrageous …show more content…
For this reason the next step is to assemble a team. Team size is crucial, too many and the team will fall apart in the chaos, too few and the team won’t be able to work in the crowds. A good team is made up of three to five people. It must be noted that each person on a team is an individual with desires and selfish goals. If every member of the team has different objectives they are no better than the crowds. Building a good team requires balance. The ideal teammate follows orders without question and wants nothing in return. Friends and family may be willing to be a part of a team free of charge, yet will likely set their eyes on their own Black Friday deals. Mercenaries or other forms of hireable labor will not have this problem, although they will expect a paycheck, cutting into Black Friday savings. Friends, family, and soldiers of fortune can be mixed and matched into a team of maximum efficiency. The goals of friends and family can become secondary objectives while the cost of freelancers can be spread across the group. The best team dynamic consists of a leader (oneself) and several burly subordinates; the infirm are not recommended as a psychological deterrent as Black Friday swarms feel no …show more content…
Oftentimes it is necessary to set up a campsite outside a retailer to ensure an early spot in line. This encampment should be stocked with necessities and is never to be left unguarded. In some cases throngs of ravenous shoppers will make camping impossible. If basic law and order fail, due to a store’s inability or unwillingness to control its clientele, making one’s way to the front of the line will prove difficult. As Sun Tzu noted in The Art of War, the best defense is a good offense. “Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack” (Tzu). The best offense offered on Black Friday is the mass of one’s own body. The best way to efficiently augment one’s offensive and defensive capabilities is body armor. The obvious and incorrect answer to crowd control is the riot gear worn by police during more aggressive bouts of civil disobedience. The armor is bulky, hot, and most importantly is designed for use by large groups of trained law enforcement (the opposite of a small contingent of Black Friday shoppers). “Body armor is heavy and hot. The soft armor isn’t much more than about five pounds, but it will wear you out if you aren’t used to having it on. Plate armor is really heavy.” (Ellifritz 1). Leather jackets are often worn by bikers, some of society’s most intimidating people. However the iconic jackets serve a purpose
Overview
The day following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, corrects for the out of place joy the holiday brings to the dreary wintertime by completely opposing its basic principles. Where Thanksgiving brings appreciation and contemplation, Black Friday brings an insatiable appetite and a total disregard for others. While the dangers and rewards of Black Friday may often be exaggerated, total success will be a challenge. With enough planning and preparation any Black Friday goals can be achieved. In less dramatic terms, Black Friday is the Friday immediately following Thanksgiving. The “holiday” is recognized by retailers nationwide as a day to offer the best deals as a kickoff to the holiday shopping season. Offering outrageous …show more content…
For this reason the next step is to assemble a team. Team size is crucial, too many and the team will fall apart in the chaos, too few and the team won’t be able to work in the crowds. A good team is made up of three to five people. It must be noted that each person on a team is an individual with desires and selfish goals. If every member of the team has different objectives they are no better than the crowds. Building a good team requires balance. The ideal teammate follows orders without question and wants nothing in return. Friends and family may be willing to be a part of a team free of charge, yet will likely set their eyes on their own Black Friday deals. Mercenaries or other forms of hireable labor will not have this problem, although they will expect a paycheck, cutting into Black Friday savings. Friends, family, and soldiers of fortune can be mixed and matched into a team of maximum efficiency. The goals of friends and family can become secondary objectives while the cost of freelancers can be spread across the group. The best team dynamic consists of a leader (oneself) and several burly subordinates; the infirm are not recommended as a psychological deterrent as Black Friday swarms feel no …show more content…
Oftentimes it is necessary to set up a campsite outside a retailer to ensure an early spot in line. This encampment should be stocked with necessities and is never to be left unguarded. In some cases throngs of ravenous shoppers will make camping impossible. If basic law and order fail, due to a store’s inability or unwillingness to control its clientele, making one’s way to the front of the line will prove difficult. As Sun Tzu noted in The Art of War, the best defense is a good offense. “Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack” (Tzu). The best offense offered on Black Friday is the mass of one’s own body. The best way to efficiently augment one’s offensive and defensive capabilities is body armor. The obvious and incorrect answer to crowd control is the riot gear worn by police during more aggressive bouts of civil disobedience. The armor is bulky, hot, and most importantly is designed for use by large groups of trained law enforcement (the opposite of a small contingent of Black Friday shoppers). “Body armor is heavy and hot. The soft armor isn’t much more than about five pounds, but it will wear you out if you aren’t used to having it on. Plate armor is really heavy.” (Ellifritz 1). Leather jackets are often worn by bikers, some of society’s most intimidating people. However the iconic jackets serve a purpose