"The Corporate Takeover of American Minds": Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday: Which is better?- by Kirsten VerHaar

Black Friday: Frenzied Shoppers  going crazy

"There's nothing quite like the thrill (and novelty) of piling into the car in the wee hours of the morning and waiting for your favorite retailer to open its doors. Adventure awaits:

Will you score the ultimate doorbuster deal? Or how about that unannounced surprise sale that could be offered? Both are very real possibilities that you can only experience live and in person.

And sometimes nothing can replace the sensory experience, especially when shopping for clothing or furniture.

You don't have to worry about shipping costs or canceled orders either, because you'll be carting your loot home.

To some, Cyber Monday offers many of the same benefits of Black Friday without all the hassle. According to the National Retail Federation, Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend) is expected to contribute significantly to overall holiday sales — an anticipated $105 billion in online sales, So, is it worth opting for the couch instead of the mall?

Shopping from the comfort of home or work makes for more rational decisions, and you're not dealing with the crowds.

Finally, the pleasure of shopping in PJs can't be discounted. There's nothing better than curling up on the couch with a cup of cocoa and getting your spend on.

Bottom-Line: do you really need all  those so-called "bargains" and make retailers happy as they deposit your hard earned cash in the bank ?  As a passerby of a major US  department store noted when he saw all the frenzied shoppers trying to get into the store: "Every One Has The Right To Do Stupid Things But The American Consumers Are Abusing that Privilege."


 Read more: Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday: Which is better?

Merchandising: Netherlands expects its own Black Friday - by Janene Pieters

The Netherlands has its on version of the American phenomenon Black Friday. But on the Monday just before Sinterklaas, instead of on the Friday after Thanksgiving as the Americans do it.

This is according to research done by Piet Hein Kerkhof of Criteo Benelux, BNR reports.

In the United States Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving, which is always on the last Thursday in November. It is a day of mega sales and massive discounts, which usually includes large crowds, screaming customers and occasionally someone being trampled. According to Kerkhof, retailers fuel Black Friday with the idea of getting a head start on Christmas shopping.

Kerkhof found a similar trend in the Netherlands, though nothing close to the proportions of Black Friday in the United States.

According to him, there is a peak in the Netherlands on the Monday following Black Friday, in the run up to Sinterklaas. “This is less driven by retailers, but a trend in the behavior of the consumer”, he said to the broadcaster. Dutch consumers like discounts on the Monday before Sinterklaas is set to deliver his gifts.

Read more: Netherlands expects its own Black Friday - NL Times

US Economy: Is the party over ? Wall Street falls in broad decline, Apple weighs - retail disappoints

US stocks fell in a broad decline on Monday, with the S&P 500 suffering its biggest one-day drop in more than a month, as economic data indicated weakness across the globe and the holiday shopping season got off to a tepid start.

The day's losses were broad, with eight of the ten primary S&P 500 sectors lower on the day. Industrials were the day's biggest decliners, pressured by manufacturing data that still pointed to sluggish demand.

Apple was one of the biggest weights on the session, falling 3.2 per cent to $US115.07 in its biggest one-day decline since September. It tumbled shortly after the open in its largest one-minute volume in more than a month in what some traders deemed a "mini-flash crash."

Growth in the US manufacturing sector slowed for a third straight month in November, decelerating to its most sluggish since January, according to Markit. The ISM report also showed a slowing pace of growth, though it was stronger than expected

Read more: Wall Street falls in broad decline, Apple weighs

US Economy: Black Friday, a dying institution of American capitalism? Are deals really worth it?

Is Black Friday worth it? Not only have brick-and-mortar retailers felt the push of Cyber Monday sales, but some companies like Amazon and eBay are beating in-store retailers to the punch by opening for business Thanksgiving morning. The lure and ease of the Internet has also evolved e-commerce and altered the shopper’s frame of mind, which all might be heralding the end of Black Friday as we once knew it. Is e-commerce turning Black Friday into a quaint antiquity, or does the tradition of sidewalk camping still yield the best deals.

“I personally would never advise someone to shop in-store on Black Friday,” says DealNews CEO Dan de Grandpre. “The savings are great. The question is: How much money are you saving for getting something and giving up a vacation day, versus buying one online and staying home?”

There are more than a few reasons to sit out Black Friday: the cold, the crowds, the pushing, the shoving, the general hysteria. “What is your time worth to you?” de Grandpre asks, suggesting you’re likely to find the same item online within $50 to $100, or even the same price. “The trend every year is that the deals online are almost as good, if you look at them as a whole.”

For more: Are Black Friday deals really worth it?

US ECONOMY: Deals, what deals? U.S. consumers unimpressed by 'Black Friday' discounts

Despite the Black Friday hoopla, there are still four more weeks until Christmas. With consumers showing a tendency to do much of their shopping at the last minute, analysts say Black Friday is not a strong predictor for the season as a whole.

Initial data on Friday traffic and sales are expected in the next two days from industry groups. Retailers report November sales results next Thursday.

FOR MORE: Deals, what deals? U.S. consumers unimpressed by 'Black Friday' discounts