Retailers Are Scared Out of Their Minds That ‘Buy Nothing Day’ is Becoming a Reality
For once, the headlines don’t lie.
Today is Black Friday. I really don’t know why they call it Black Friday. Maybe the name stuck because this one shopping day finally puts the retailers in the black for the first time all year.
I have to admit that’s not a very appealing business model. If your bottom line depends on one day of 365 days to go well, then perhaps there is something wrong with the business model.
The front page of the New York Times says that the poor have buckled under inflation while the rich spend their money. The Washington Post barely mentions the economy with a tiny opinion piece about life as a nearly homeless person. The LA Times is talking drought, but dig a little deeper and they tell us that inflation takes the fun out of the discounts offered by retailers.
I really don’t like buying things. If I do buy something that I really want, something that’s going to cost a pretty penny, I’ve already spent weeks and months researching it for value. What will that thing do for me? How long will I keep it? How often will I use it?
I do the research because I understand one very simple axiom: Whatever I own, owns me. If I buy something, I feel obligated to use it…
