11/24/2009

In years past, the term "Black Friday" sent shivers up the spines of financial pros that remember the great catastrophe of Sept. 24, 1869. On that Black Friday, two speculators tried to corner the world's gold market and failed, causing gold and stock markets to crash.

Today's Black Friday means profits instead of losses. It is the day after Thanksgiving, the biggest shopping day of the year. It signals the start of the holiday season when retailers hope sales will push their stores into the black.

Experts predict that shoppers will hold tight to their dollars this year out of worry about the economy. Retailers are hanging out juicy carrots to loosen those fingers, including bargain-basement prices on popular items.

This year's Black Friday buzz started last week, when some chain-store sale circulars were leaked before retailers were ready to release them. That's a big deal for the most ardent shoppers, who view snagging Black Friday bargains as the ultimate sport.

These shopping kings and queens play a game that demands planning, strategy, timing, endurance and speed. It makes Olympic competition look like kids playing in a sandbox.

Retailers love these super-shoppers and will do almost anything to get them. They are marking down items to below cost to get people in the door.

They even will make wake-up calls for shoppers who want an early start. At JCPenney.com, folks can sign up for prerecorded messages from Cindy Crawford, Kimora Lee Simmons or Rascal Flatts. The wake-up call service at Target.com lets callers choose from messages from Cheech Marin, Heidi Klum, Lord Vader and Ice-T.

Then it's off to the races.

To you champions of checkout lines, we wish you happy hunting. Eat a good breakfast. Wear good shoes. Play nice. Don't bust the family budget.

And remember, you are the protectors of capitalism and the recession rescue squad. Get out there and do your duty.

-- Tom Bell

Editor & Publisher

822-1491

tbell@salina.com

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