First I will go through the answers to the TD Website Quiz from the October Giveaway. We discussed whether to just leave the results as a comment on the previous giveaway, but we feel then most people will never go back and see them and they won't even have learned that they were wrong on some questions. Not saying posting it here will get people reading, but at least it'll get more visibility as it's the new Giveaway.
So here are the breakdown of the questions and its answers:
1. How long has ToyDemon been in business?
Answer: 15 Years - 90.9% (210 out of 231) of people got this correct.
Where: You can find this information on our site logo, which shows est. 2008, or one of the community posts "15 Years of ToyDemon and the New ToyDemon Website".
Reason: We wanted to ask this question to show new users that we have been around for 15 years. We are not some random new shop and you can completely trust us.
2. Which iteration is the current ToyDemon Website?
Answer: 6th - 72.7% (168 out of 231) of people got this correct.
Where: Again, this answer can be found in "15 Years of ToyDemon and the New ToyDemon Website". In that post we showed all the different versions of ToyDemon.com throughout the years.
Reason: We wanted to show that we are always looking to improve and also catch up with technology. We will always try to improve and add more features to our site.
3. What does the do?
Answer: Light / Dark Mode - 94.8% (219 out of 231) of the people got this correct.
Where: I am surprised still 5.2% of people got this wrong. Because you can simply click on it and see what it does, whether you're on desktop or mobile.
Reason: We simply want to point out that dark mode already exists. Stop asking for it!
4. Where do you apply your reward points?
Answer: Side Cart - 57.1% (132 out of 231) of the people got this correct.
Where: This is located on the slide out side cart above the "Proceed to Checkout" section. Both reward points (if you have any) and coupons are applied here. You can also find this answer in the Reward Points link at the bottom of every page.
Reason: We also get a few cancel requests because they forgot to apply their reward points. Hopefully this will help users remember where to apply them.
5. What requirement is needed to become a "Silver" member?
Answer: Complete 1 Order - 90.5%. (209 out of 231) of the people got this correct.
Where: You can find this answer in the Loyalty Program link at the bottom of every page. Or in every product page above the "Add to Cart" there's a "earning rewards" chart that will show up if you mouse over it (or touch on mobile).
Reason: We want users to know that just 1 order is all you need to start accruing more discount and perks from us. We used to give 500 Reward Points for Bronze, and we noticed there are people that will keep creating new account to take advantage of this, so we had to remove it.
6. How many points are rewarded for leaving a review?
Answer: 100 Points - 88.3% (204 out of 231) of the people got this correct.
Where: This can be found in the "Loyalty Member" chart mentioned above, or in every product page when you try to review, there's a message stating "Write a review and receive 100 Points! (For verified purchase only)".
Reason: We used to provide 50 points per review. However, we know reviews are very important to new customers. So we want to encourage more reviews by providing more incentive on leaving a review. Rest assured, we still look over the reviews and do not approve short reviews that says "this is a good onahole".....
Note, there's a discrepancy here that if a user is not logged in, the message instead says: "Write a review and receive 50 Points!
(For verified purchase only)". Because of this, we will also accept 50 points (22 people selected this) as correct due to our mistake. That mistake has now been fixed as of today.
7. Which statement below about "Pre-Orders" item is FALSE?
Answer: Count towards coupons or promos total - 88.3% (204 out of 231) of the people got this correct.
Where: This is located in the Pre-Order menu on top. Under pre-order banner you can see the benefits listed. Pre-Orders do not count towards coupon or promotion totals because the pre-order itself is already free shipping by itself.
Reason: We want users to take advantage of the many discounts and perks that comes with pre-order as it also helps us gauge how many we can order. It's mutually beneficial.
8. What does indicate when it appears on a product?
Answer: Your previously purchased products - 82.3% (190 out of 231) of the people got this correct.
Where: The icon displays on products that YOU have purchased. So everyone will see the icon on different products depending on what they have purchased. We will accept answers that close enough to the correct answer. Answers such as verified purchase or that you own this product will also be deemed correct.
Reason: Just to again teach users what the icon means as new users might nto read through the site and might be confused when that icon appears on a product.
Note, 3 people answered Guaranteed Delivery Date, which is also where the icon shows up, but the question asked when it appears on a product.
9. Where can you turn "ON/OFF" specific email notification such as newsletter and back in stock emails?
Answer: /newsletter/manage/ or Account-> Email Subscriptions - 77.5% (179 out of 231) of the people got this correct.
Where: Just by accessing your account dashboard and click through, it should be pretty self-explanatory. Again, answers that will lead to the correct location will be accepted, so anything that describes how to get there or mentions Emails Subscriptions.
Reason: We want to do this to point out that you have control over a lot of the notifications and emails you receive from us. So if you do not want them, just turn them off. Reporting us as a spam will only hurt us and everyone else that actually wants the email.
10. Please answer the following about Free Shipping.
Answer: SHIPFREE, $75, Continental US Only - 74.0% (171 out of 231) of the people got this correct.
Where: It's located in banners posted under Masturbators and Deals. We will again accept answers that are close to the correct answer.
Reason: We still get a lot of people not sure that use code "Freeship" or is confused on how free shipping works. So hopefully this will make everyone more aware.
11. Where does ToyDemon ship from?
Answer: USA, Illinois - 156 out of 231. 67.5% of the people got this correct.
Where: Bottom right of every page below our logo and above the social icons. You have to have clicked both USA and Illinois and ONLY USA and Illinois to be considered correct.
Reason: As we answer tickets and look in communities such as Reddit. We noticed that a lot of people still are not aware that ToyDemon ships directly from within the US. If you're located close to Illinois, you will get your packages that much faster as our warehouse was located in IL. Our prices are higher compared to those direct from Japan shops because we already did the importing cost such as freight, duty and custom clearance. You don't need to worry about anything else if you're located within the US. Unlike other shops, we also do not list products that will take months to stock while holding your money hostage.
Everything on our that shows "Add to Cart" is IN STOCK and ready to be shipped from IL, USA. It's also why we can offer you free shipping as well.
Hopefully you guys liked the breakdown and have learned from the quiz. Considering only about 28.5% (66 out of 231) of the people got everything correct, we need to work on how to better convey new features and functions to everyone.
Our Black Friday sale just happened (ending 10/31), and some are confused as to why it happened already. As we have mentioned previously, the 2 biggest reasons we want to do Black Friday early and away from the convention Black Friday is because:
1 - Avoid the crazy rush from all the carriers. During previous Black Fridays, we get a lot more tickets from customers asking where their package is. This will prevent overloading of the carriers and our packages will ship and hopefully deliver on time.
2 - We are still a very small company. In the past Black Fridays, it's all hands on deck and everyone is in the office and warehouse processing orders, answering tickets, shipping packages. Everyone had to start working right after Thanksgiving, and come into office Friday, Saturday, and Sundays if we are still behind. By having the sale now, during Thanksgiving, everyone can enjoy the holidays, and have a nice 4 day weekend without needing to worry about work!
Hopefull everyone can understand, but this will be the way going forward for the forseeable future.
Rather than doing another quiz, which some people liked, but others definitely did not, we will go with our typical comment format. However, we will definitely make another quiz again in the future as we feel that it does help people spend more time learning about ToyDemon!
Speaking of Black Friday, do Amazon Prime Days throughout the year and other big retailers matching Prime Day, ruin Black Friday for you? Esepcially when it's been known that some shops like Amazon and others, will just raise the price first, and then display a huge discount. I have found myself less and less excited about Black Friday and don't really buy things during Black Friday anymore. Let us know what you think!
How to Enter:
1. Have an avatar (build it within your Profile if you haven't already).
2. Have a public wish list of at least 5 items that does not have "Wish List" in its name. (Help others out by naming them and categorizing them accordingly)
3. Upvote this topic, vote in the poll, and answer in comments: "Do events like Prime Day and other big retailer big sales matching it ruin Black Friday for you? Why or Why not?"
You must do all 3 steps listed above to be eligible to win the giveaway.
Prize(s):
-$100 in Reward Points to 5 lucky winners!
-Winners will be randomly picked on 11/30/2023
Disclaimers:
* One entry per person, any account spamming will result in disqualification.
** You must sign up for a ToyDemon account in order to post in the community.
Do events like Prime Day and all big retailers trying to out-do one another ruined Black Friday?
@Ineviolet same. We had 1 visit from kids yesterday all afternoon. Also didn't help that the temperature dropped to like 30s and was snowing, but previously we would have seen at least 5+ visits from kids.
I still remember the days of waiting outside Best Buy parking lot after Thanksgiving dinner and trying to get that TV that they have 5 of and then grabbing whatever is in store if I couldn't get that TV.
Yes, Black Friday has lost its charm over the years. It's been on a downward spiral since the rise of online shopping. With all the frequent sales events and everyone trying to outdo each other, feeling like you've scored an amazing deal that you'd normally never get has become increasingly rare.
@**ToyDemon**
I think that part of the fun for black friday is hunting for deals, so if everyone matches the price points it does seem a bit boring. Also considering that most things are marked up prior, then "Price dropped" makes it a bit unfortunate.
Good luck everyone!!
@**ToyDemon**
No, I don't see the big sales having ruined Black Friday. I mean, really, Black Friday is really about sales from a customer standpoint. It's disappointing if retailers try to game the system. But for me, if it's a good price, I'm still happy. For customers who are really into it, they can use Apps like Honey that show price history. Having a wish list, or keeping things in a saved cart section helps. When you see a price that looks good, go ahead and buy. Just use your judgement.
One recommendation to Toy Demon might be to move your Black Friday sale to the week before normal Black Friday. This way you still get to avoid the fulfillment drawbacks Black Friday poses for you. But I think Halloween time is too early for Black Friday. It may be confusing to some customers and Black Friday isn't really on their radar yet. They aren't thinking about it or planning for it. So you probably have a lower Black Friday sales volume. Then, when customers are looking for sales during the normal Black Friday time, some products may be out of stock, which is a turnoff to see.
@Wayne We tried moving it to a week earlier last year from similar feedbacks of previous years and it didn't work out. A lot of people's package still experienced transit apocalypse. Large retailers have for many years already been moving their Black Friday to start anywhere from beginning of November to the week before Black Friday and moving it a week earlier put those packages in line with the bulk of transits from large retailers. There were a lot of unhappy people last year about their Black Friday shipping experience... This year we moved it back to end of Oct like the previous early Black Friday Sales before last year's experiment.
@**ToyDemon**
It doesn't "ruin" black Friday for me cause we aren't used to this type of event in Europe, you can't ruin it if I have no expectation x)
@**ToyDemon**
Personally, no. Prime day and other big sales can overshadow Black Friday as they can offer even better deals. I'm also going to be really busy during Black Friday, so that sucks. Online sales like Prime day do offer great deals that I don't have to be physically present to take advantage of either, which is a big win for them. I might be antiquated in my thinking though, because when I think of holiday shopping, Black Friday is the first thing that comes to mind. Even if some other sale offers better deals, they aren't "events" in my mind, unlike how shopping during Black Friday is. There is fun in the chaotic shopping of Black Friday that you really just can't get anywhere else. Logically speaking, Prime day and some of these other sales will overshadow Black Friday in certain aspects, which is in a way is ruining it from what it once was (like THE time to shop for deals), but they haven't ruined it for me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I still enjoy Black Friday despite the other sales.
Brand new user here! Ah I guess I made a mistake intentionally waiting till November to look for new toys. Oh well.
Black Friday is a pain that's for sure. Planning purchases within a month around a big sale event is stressful. What if something goes on sale? What if it doesn't and I wait for nothing? What if it sells out because I waited? Not to mention the fact that yeah, sometimes the sales are bogus.
I like to limit my spending on the sales holidays to stuff I already had in mind. Other stuff it's hard to know if the "new amazing sales price" is legit if you weren't keeping tabs on it already. Granted, some sites that track pricing trends can be very helpful for this to know if the sale is even real at all or perhaps a pretty common discount that's nothing special. I've saved a good deal on Black Friday-type sales. But I inevitably seem to waste time in the process. I answered "No" above, but the margin wasn't that big. Price competition is great for consumer, but the scummy artificial raising of prices for a fake sale isn't. And it obviously works.
@KuroNoRider Wow I order right after making this comment only for a sale to happen anyway right after.... that timing tho. I feel somewhat tricked by the claim that black friday sales happened early already. rip
@**ToyDemon**
I'm glad that the quiz will be coming back, I had fun with it. While I appreciate any sale, I think that over the years Black Friday's lost a bit of its allure for sure. In recent years when it comes around I haven't really had any urge to go deal-finding. The saturation of sales year-round probably does contribute a lot to that.
@**ToyDemon**
No, it's made things easier for me as a consumer and I no longer have to go into swarms of people rushing to get sales. But on the other hand, I can see how it's detrimental to other retailers.
@**ToyDemon** The thing I miss is seeing grown adults fighting over towels to save a few bucks, true story. Honestly going out right after Thanksgiving to wait in line is something I did enjoy to hang out with friends and hit up hot topic for $10 shirts, but defiantly prefer the ease of online and having multiple days through out the year for deals.
@**ToyDemon** For me it does not. But I already know what I want and or looking for when it comes to these sales. In general I have wish lists on sites I shop at. So I already have a good idea on what the price is supposed to be. That helps me decide if what I am looking for is a good price. Also the extension Honey really helps with keeping track of prices.
@**ToyDemon** I work retail so any form of Black Friday/heavy sales sucks for me. As for the deals, I always wait for when there is a sale and I have the money to get it. Otherwise I look through eBay and other options to find what I'm looking for.
@**ToyDemon** It has ruined Black Friday, as you see more big box stores and Amazon sellers artificially raising prices before the sale to give the illusion of deep savings. Plus there is the fact the sale seems to go on for weeks at some retailers, which signals to me that consumers aren't as enamored with limited time mega sales as they were in the past.
@**ToyDemon** different stores will have different sales and it makes sense that some would want to have bigger discounts to draw more business, I have no issue with that. The only kind of sale prices I ever have issues with are the ones you can't tell if it's real since the listed price seems higher than it should be. Like when they raise prices ahead of time to make it seem like a sale when it's the same price. It's dishonest and cheap. Other than that stores can try to out do each other as much as they want if it means I get a bigger discount.
@**ToyDemon**
I don't like Black Friday as I find it degenerate. I'm glad Black Friday isn't as big as it used to be as it lets people get what they want while not dealing with a crowd of maniacs. When I went into Target during this year's Black Friday, it was nighttime and I still saw Xbox and Switch available. No PS5 though, but I've never seen one there anyway. So yeah I'm glad Black Friday is "ruined." Rather have people spend Thanksgiving with their families instead of spending all day camping outside Best Buy or something.
@**ToyDemon** No, because I don't pay attention to the big sale events themselves or wait for them before making a purchase. I just look for deals and money saving opportunities regardless of the time of the year. Black Friday is just another Friday for me.
@**ToyDemon** Prime day and big retailers attempting to match sales ruins black friday because it makes it pretty much nothing in value in terms of saving
@**ToyDemon** You know i bought a game before Black Friday from 1 seller on Amazon and i paid $33 for it. BF comes and it's magically $3 cheaper and has a 33% off next to the price XD. What a joke! Ohh well, i only paid $3 more. Besides that, i did get a few deals on my other games that were actually good. Anyway, i don't think they ruin BF. You never see as many places with sales like you do on BF, as you might with something like Prime day. Prime day is nice and does get some competitive sales, but near and on BF, i can't stop getting emails about sales. It's like all the stores are fighting to convince me to spend money with them.
@**ToyDemon** I like other sales throughout the year like Prime Day or the other Sales TD does say for Memorial Day etc. Black Friday can be nice to get some good deals but not everything I am looking for gets the big discounts and also sometimes there's other times in the year I have better discrsionary income to spend when another sale is happening in the spring or summer and I can better take advantage.
@**ToyDemon**
I think it kinda does. I remember being excited to go Black Friday shopping for the first time about 6 or 7 years ago and ending up being really disappointed because the only deals I could find in any of the stores were things like a measly $50 the newest game console. Other retailers inventing reasons to do big sales takes away the magic of having that special "one day only" insane price cut.
@**ToyDemon**
Yeah, I'd say so. On one hand the increase in sales throughout the year is good, but I sort of miss the news of the wierd things that'd happen.
@**ToyDemon** At least to me, retailer specific sales don't take away from Black Friday, as Black Friday has a large focus on buying gifts for the holidays Rather than just being a more general sale as the retailer specific sales often are.
@**ToyDemon**
No, I never saw Black Friday as a special event, just a day where items are on sale. So, Prime Day is just another day where items are on sale.
PS. I never experienced a Black Friday in person, only online
@**ToyDemon** I feel all the online sales has ruin Black Friday for me a little bit. I remember going to the mall and seeing ton of people lining up but now there no one and it just everyone seeing if there is any good deal online
@**ToyDemon**
I don't think the big retailers are ruining Black Friday. I think it's more on the consumer end, sales aren't as good because I think shoppers have gotten come impulsive and aren't willing to wait for a good deal. Because everyone just buys when they want it the big retailers don't see the need to put out any really good deals.
I never was much of a shopper though, get gifts for the family and be done with it. I don't go out shopping unless it's something I need or really, really want.
I no longer shop for any big name brands during Black Friday. I do most my shopping after the holidays since I believe the prices somewhat get marked down. Everything seems stale in terms of discounts.
My answer really depends on the retailer, as some big sales can definitely help people afford things if done correctly, while other retailer over-inflate the price to then turn around and say it's some percentage off. Now personally, it doesn't ruin it for me since besides being just unlucky with what's marked as on sale, I stick with retailers that don't do that. But like others have mentioned, Black Friday definitely has burnt out in quality from what it once was, once having great deals for otherwise expensive items to now not.
@**ToyDemon** I believe some competition is good since it benefits us all with all the sales XD. However, the scam tactic of marking up and then dropping prices to participate in these events seems distasteful.
Doesn’t really bother me. It’s amusing to see the gyrations these companies go through to sell products. Smart shoppers already know there are no free lunches.
@**ToyDemon** Like others have said before, big retailers usually mark up the price and show a discounted price for consumers. For me, it doesn’t really ruin black friday for me because it’s still a day where discounts happen. However it’s not the same anymore. Back then, the sales were insane. There would be crazy price drops that were actual discounts instead of fake mark ups and a discount bait. I usually shop based on price research to see what good sales are actually happening so I don’t mind these big retailers trying to price match black friday prices. If anything, I can get my items early.
I'm not sure how competition could ruin black friday... if they are actual sales and not the fake deals where the price is marked up and then the deal is applied to effectively make the price the same as before.
@**ToyDemon** I feel like most of the fun in Black Friday is just looking for deals, but now with the prices all being matched the fun is no longer there, there also is no advantage in going into stores buy things, as they are all now the same price.
I feel like it's a double-edged sword with the increasing sale events versus how these sales translate to large amount of customer information/trends that's now available to companies with these big internet sales. Prime Day and other big sales makes it more accessible and easier to plan for buying items in the future, but I agree that all of this has been making companies able to make smarter decisions on sale prices at the cost of "true" Black Friday sales.
My trick to get around the raised prices before big sales is to pull up the Amazon price history on camelcamelcamel (dot) com. I've been able to check prices on some items to make sure that it's been consistent before buying it, whether it was on Amazon or checking at the reliable source of price history before buying directly from the company themselves.
@**ToyDemon** No. In fact, I feel the competition allows for more selection and better prices sometimes. You should always pay attention to previous sale prices and what the market prices are for an item that you want, that way you have a less of a chance of being taken advantage of by raised prices.
@**ToyDemon** No, since I've never been a huge fan of Black Friday and I just don't like big crowds of people. So deals online just make it easier for me to find what I'm looking for and are normally more convenient to have something shipped to my door. Most of the time they are cheaper too. If I do find something I want cheaper in store its also normally sold out fairly quickly so I just stopped bothering with indoor Black Friday sales. So in a way I think stuff like Prime day or other online sales actually helps some people not really have to fight over certain products and almost everyone can get what they're looking for. As well as there are multiple sales days a year that people can always find that one item they want more commonly now.
I think people just prefer the ease of online shopping and enjoy seeing discounts, even if they may be misleading. There is definitely much less excitement and desire to go out shopping than before though. I remember stories of family staying out waiting for Walmart to open, just for some electronics. That reminds me of shopping in stores nowadays, I've noticed that prices tend to be higher than what is offered online. I think that is a main reason why I myself have moved to online shopping, and of course stock availability. Online retailers who are honest with sales and communicate with their consumers are great though.
@**ToyDemon** I simply cannot wait until 1 time in the year to buy things. I need sales throughout the year. I am very hesitant to buy anything not on sale, although just ordered 4 full price items here today. I do not think they ruin black friday as much as it matters what retailers actually do for black friday. If they can match the lowest price from earlier in year then that is fine by me. It's more frustrating if they do a super low price just at 1 time in the year. I usually miss it or am not ready to buy.
@**ToyDemon** I don't really think retailers matching sales has ruined anything. I don't notice anything personally, and I actually don't tend to really take advantage of Black Friday sales in general.
It's just not the same anymore. I'd rather look for deals throughout the year at this point. Every time there's a sale event going on I might check if I'm feeling spicy but otherwise I don't even look at anything because I already know the deals are going to be disappointing or irrelevant.
@**ToyDemon**
Black Friday has always been just another day of sale of specific items only. So whenever there’s another sale day, it’s just another sale day. I will always welcome another sale day on Toy Demon. ????
I've never been one for just wanting stuff so typically I've skipped Black Friday. If I need something I usually do the research on whether its a good product or not and will have bought it already.
@**ToyDemon** No, I don't believe they are ruining Black Friday. Any deals that lower the cost for consumers is normally a good deal, but what ruins Black Friday (along with other special deal days) are retailers who inflate prices just to have the 'sale' reduce it again, or showing the sale as a percentage off of the MSRP from years ago when the price has massively dropped since then.
At this point when I see a sale I try to look for the price history to see if its actually a sale.
@**ToyDemon**
Black Friday hasnt been ruined for me, since I never really participated before, from what I hear its completely different now than it was back 10 or even 5 years ago. With both online shopping and Covid I think shopping physically in general has decreased. So most people who find a good digital deal dont feel the need to go to the actual store anymore. I guess "the spirit" of black friday is gone, but I dont mind as long as im still getting a decent deal :)
@**ToyDemon**
Not really because I can usually find a couple of things that I wanted to buy but didn't have enough money until the black Friday sales made it where I could afford it.
I think black friday at the end of the day is just an excuse to buy the items you wanted for a while, but at a lower price. As long I don't take it that seriously it doesn't really affect me.
black friday has lost a lot of the appeal it once had, but not really because of prime day or other sales. things are just generally more expensive these days, so even when you find decent discounts, you don’t really feel like you’re getting an amazing deal.
also i’m sad i missed the black friday sale here. i only check td every three weeks or so, so it was easy to miss :(
@**ToyDemon** can't really say as for the past couple of years black Friday deals have been less and less good looking to me but I feel like other events don't ruin Black Friday and it just adds more deals for the consumer to choose from only time I find it worthwhile is if I'm getting a deal on something I was already going to buy before.
@**ToyDemon** not gonna lie I use to look forward to Black Friday sales back in the day like in the 00's but since many years wisened up and stayed out of the fray to keep my stress down in addition to not buying stuff of no value to me. Now I focus on purchase that are great value no matter what time of year and always remember that "it ain't going anywhere" in regards to fomo (fear of missing out) that I occasionally get bitten by.
I don't think they ruin it because even before now retailers have used tactics such as raising the price and then dropping it to truck the consumer. It happens more times throughout the year so I think consumers have been able to catch on. If we are talking about price tracking though for Amazon I suggest you visit camelcamelcamel because it will track the lowest and highest price of the item has been on Amazon.
@**ToyDemon** I didn't know that sites like Amazon raised prices before discounting them for Black Friday, but I still wouldn't say it ruins it for me. I don't shop much to begin with so Black Friday is just an opportunity to buy one or two items I may have had on my radar for a while, as long as the prices are lower than MSRP I'm happy. I'm pretty sure this site is the one I've bought the most from during Black Friday sales lol.
No black friday is just a holiday sale so other company having their own sale is good because we will have competition in the market lowering the prices to attract more customers. Now we have prime day, black friday and cyber Monday to look forward too maybe crazy deals and less medicro discounts
I like supporting smaller businesses and staying away from huge stores like Amazon. A lot of the "sales" are from brands you've never heard of with a bunch of 5-star reviews that real people didn't make for a product that some big company copy & pasted but worse from an actual good product that's buried so far down the list because of all the "promoted" products.
Black Friday certainly isn't what it used to be, but I enjoy the opportunity to spend a bit more and splurge through a smaller company that deserves the love through big bundles and discount opportunities.
@**ToyDemon**
i don't really pay attention to retailer events. i've never really purchased anything during those events. i just buy it when i need/want it.
No. I never noticed the price difference between Prime Day and Black Friday because items that are most discounted sell out too quickly or involve waiting for too long in lines ahead of time for me. I guess I prefer the reliability and flexibility of online shopping over the size of discounts.
Prime Day is usually disappointing in my experience. I don't even check it these days. Black Friday and other Holiday Sales tends to be better at least for more niche stuff I think. Though Black Friday as a single event on it's own is not very special these days.
@**ToyDemon**
Love there being multiple 'Black Friday' equivalents throughout the year.
Black Friday & Cyber Monday are when I try to get all of my holiday shopping done, which is already stressful enough.
The added sales days allow me to section off who and what I am shopping for, making everything so much more pleasant.
Also, I think that fake discounts are already illegal in the US.
Does seem similar to our anti-trust regulations though: exists on paper, but is rarely ever enforced.
New rule: "2. Have a public wish list of at least 5 items that does not have "Wish List" in its name. (Help others out by naming them and categorizing them accordingly)" is annoying.
I like to glance through my entire wishlist whenever a major sale is going on, this just complicates matters.
Also, who is looking at which wishlist a rando has an item on when the site has a review and pro/cons list feature?
@**ToyDemon** Black Friday not ruined. Never paid for Prime and never needed anything more than standard amazon. I like retailers competing because that gives us best prices.
And damn, I'm still new to ToyDemon and didn't know the big sale happens in October. Missed out.
I remember when the sales used to be so good people would be running in the store and standing outside. I think these kinds of sales are rarer now and I think the impact it has on the people working has com across as well. I remember having to work from 10pm to 12pm (the next day) on a black Friday and I got to say, standing at a cashier post, at 4am, on a holiday is the last thing anyone wants to be doing.
Online sales are different but there are still logistics nightmares as you guys know well. I'd rather everyone have off and maybe the craze goes on on Monday.
bottom line is: I don't mind either way, though I think it makes perfect sense for big retailers to have their big sales at other times of the year. Competitors may chose to match them or may not because they have their own big sale later in the year.
Prime Day sales don't usually interest me since they never seem to have anything I'm interested in on sale. But black friday deals have definitely been lackluster compared to how they used to be. Black Friday used to be the time for amazing deals and now it's mostly meh.
I do not think Prime Day and other big retailer big sales matching it ruin Black Friday for me. Mainly because things have changed a long time ago. As mentioned before by Ineviolet, false sales exist where mark ups happen to match regular selling prices. Prime day was never really a factor in that, it was bound to happen eventually one way or another. Also, Black Friday shopping has pretty much been online for me so I can't really say it has been ruined.
@**ToyDemon**
Yes, the competition has made it very samey. You no longer get to experience it in person. I haven't cared much about Black Friday recently. I might buy like 1 thing. My dad didn't buy anything last year. He was concerned something was wrong. In fact I didn't even know it was so soon. Only because someone told me it was.
Black Friday has definitely become less exciting with companies having sales on other days of the year, for example Halloween. However, I can still look forward to there being deals on Black Friday and expect to buy things at a decent discount.
@**ToyDemon**
I wouldn't say it ruins black friday as it has never been that big of an event in my eyes. That said, with the cost of living having went up tremendously, sales currently feel like the only time in which purchasing non necessary items is excusable.
This makes the sales more of a return to a somewhat reasonable price range that feels more or less required. In that sense, it would probably make the black friday sale lose its ''magic'' to someone who's always enjoyed it.
I've never been a fan of Black Friday, and have always stayed away from going to stores physically (mainly so I don't have to deal with people franticly running around like headless chickens). The fact that, as mentioned, prices are often increased so that they can be massively discounted makes it a moot point imo.
Of course, some do actual discounts, then it feels more like Black Friday, but I feel as most big companies avoid the actual discounts so that they can still earn a large profit.
@**ToyDemon** To be honestly, I thought Black Friday would be something crazy for me before. But now I even forget this thing until a week before. I don't know what happened, but generally I am always having a question that "Do I have anything to buy or should I buy anything." and the anwser is normally no.
@**ToyDemon**
Personally I'm indifferent about it. I'm a modest spender regardless of what sale events are active but I will say it's nice to know when you can expect sales and for many others deal hunting is part of what makes Black Friday exciting.
@**ToyDemon**
No, Prime Day and other Big Sales events doesn't ruin anything, as many
things are rotated between the two events, big sales and black Fridays of the pass are I feel kind of gone, most stuff on discount are not all much relevant ? And it's become boring. Then there's mark-up's that doesn't justify the sale.
Honestly i always thought black friday used to be fun but now it's more of a hassle than it's worth.
Shopping and hunting for deals is great but there's so many retailers/abundance of items that aren't really that good.
In reality you end up wasting time and barely saving enough money to justify the effort put in to sift through the mass of prime day and "biggest savings of the year" copy-cats who are all trying to outdo each other with the bare minimum of effort put in for the consumer.
@**ToyDemon**
Honestly Prime Day and other events don't matter too much to me, nor does Black Friday. I don't shop on Amazon often enough to compare prices on sale days like that, and on the rare chance I want to buy something for Black Friday I'm probably shopping online for it anyway since I want absolutely nothing to do with in-store mobs. Prime Day and others can't ruin Black Friday for me if Black Friday barely meant anything to me in the first place. Especially if the sales are the deceptive kind. I shouldn't have to do in-depth research to be able to tell if a sale is real or the signs just make it look like one.
Black Friday used to be actual deals in the past, and actually quality items being sold and discounted. Nowadays, retailers are slowly raising the prices as Black Friday gets closer and puts out prices that seem like deals but are just inflated and cut down to a price that is barely a deal months before. Most items sold on Black Friday such as electronics tend to have a different serial number created just for the event introducing changes and cut back on features to be sold cheaply and are missing from the real actual product.
Big sale events promotes healthy competition in the market, which is good for the consumer. A lot of brick a motor stores still do door buster on promotions which encourages irl foot traffic in their stores. The experience there could never be replaced by something like Prime Day or similar.
I don't think Prime Day and other similar events ruins Black Friday due to the timing of them. "According to Amazon, the event originally started as a summer savings event to celebrate Amazon's birthday, which launched in July 2015." Consumers can expect this event to occur during summer periods. They did however have another Prime Day on Oct 10th & 11th this year; whether or not this will be an annual occurrence or they were just testing the sale is yet to be determined. Digital Consumer 360, estimated approx. $12 bill in global sales by Amazon by their event.
When considering e-commerce, and online retail, If I have established a rapport with the small business; I will always favor small businesses and vendors over big retailers, even if the big retailer has a better deal. This is usually done through the customer's journey (the seamlessness of a transaction, UX, product discovery, ease of checkout, and post-transaction support). I often find that customer service is more engaged and better from small businesses.
@**ToyDemon** No. This is because the products I’m into are pretty niche (ex. arcade parts) and don’t usually go on sale until Black Friday. Black Friday still is the time of year when I can most consistently find deals on what I want, and smaller retailer sales line Prime Day can’t really contest.
@**ToyDemon**
Black Friday like any other consumer holiday is just a way to boost sales. I like looking at the ads but I only buy things I was already considering.
I appreciate ToyDemon doing sales regardless if it is a Black Friday event or otherwise.
I was one of the ones who hated the quiz. I don’t have time to study up for a quiz on how the site functions and on top of that, be require to get a perfect score to be eligible for the giveaway. Not very fun in my opinion but to each there own.
@**ToyDemon**
I don’t think Black Friday was ruined, but it does feel a lot less exciting now. With so many more sales, Black Friday doesn’t feel quite as special.
Of course, I like sales, and Black Friday is (usually) a pretty big sale.
@**ToyDemon**
I've never really cared much for Black Friday. Sales happen other times in the year as well, and there is a possibility whatever it is you have been holding out on buying for Black Friday will really go on sale. For all of us who use Steam, how many times have you waited for one of those big seasonal sales only for the game you want most on your Wishlist to just not go on sale? plus I don't track costs to see if the prices rise to go on "sale" they are actually being marked down to standard value.
Basically if there is a sale that looks good and I want the thing when it happens to be on sale, great, but I'm not the type to mark my calendar to go shopping because of sales, so what day sales happen doesn't matter to me.
@**ToyDemon** I think other events are fine as they give the chance to buy things with large discount throughout the year, instead of waiting for the Black Friday.
@**ToyDemon** It's good that retailers compete for our business but...Prime day is a day I've crossed off from looking for sales because of how lackluster they have quickly become. Black Friday "week" sales still can be rewarding but considering how prices overall have been going up, it hasn't been such a good idea to wait that long so I'm getting less during those sales.
I'm glad you are doing your BF deals sooner so you can have enjoy your holiday time with your family!
@**ToyDemon**
I don't think Prime Day(s) or other sales ruin Black Friday. I still keep Black Friday in mind when October/November hits but it's good to have Prime Days because I don't need to wait an entire year for a one day sale.
During any sale online I find it important to use an extension such as "Honey". So I can see the graph of price changes in the last few months. There are definitely a lot of people who will raise their prices even up to a month ahead, so they can say its 50% off on a sale when the price hasn't changed at all from before they hiked the price up.
@**ToyDemon** I would say those big event definitely take away the hype from black friday I remember years prior getting all excited to see the deals in store and go bargain hunting but nowadays it's much easier to just get the deals online so it's a trade off kinda sucks cause it was a big part of the holiday season though.
Events like prime day means more sales so I'd figure that'd be better for consumers. Although it does lessen the impact on Black Friday, with more deals around different times, it grants more opportunities that you would otherwise only have on that one friday.
@**ToyDemon** I dont think so, i think its important for the consumer to feel like they are able to get the best deals and simply black friday doesnt seem to feel that big of a deal in my opinion since most people do their shopping online.
@**ToyDemon** No.. I guess I never really cared enough about Black Friday to ever really have it ruined. I will say I used to enjoy those crazy Black Friday videos of people going crazy over TVs, etc. So maybe in some small way my enjoyment of it has diminished slightly. But on the grand scale not really.. The more sales the better as far as I'm concerned.
@**ToyDemon** No, not at all. I honestly really appreciate it because i feel if all the good deals were at the same time the mail system would get so incredibly backed up. And it helps disperse my spending.
@**ToyDemon**
I believe I got all of them, but if I had to pick one I guess the least clear was the site iteration question. If I hadn't been regularly checking in on the site I probably wouldn't have known to go back and find the 15 year community post. I think it'd be great if you guys took some of that information from the 15 year post and put it on the "about us" page. Right now it's a little sparse, and I whenever I see an in-depth about us page on a company's website I always take a moment to read it and learn more about the company. Just my 2 cents!
@**ToyDemon**
I wouldn’t say more sales ruin black friday but I would say it all kills good will when I buy games the day before prime day at a price that the next day is stated to be the prime day special price. That said if you’re not giving me at least a 25% discount I don’t even bother NY tax is 8% so anything less and you’re not even discounting my sales tax.
There are so many "black Friday" sales now that the whole concept is meaningless. Some local stores are having black Friday sales now on every Friday. I'm not an impulse buyer so the sales don't have much of an impact on me.
@**ToyDemon** Eh, I was never big on Black Friday in the first place. I'm fine with Prime Day etc... though, in either case, I rarely find many good deals I care about either way.
@**ToyDemon**
I feel like black Friday hasn't felt the same ever since the creations of prime day and what not. It removes the aspect of in person shopping but it also makes shopping a lot easier with a much wider array of products to buy from. But sales are sales, as long as the customer Is happy.
@**ToyDemon** Certainly, the introduction of this technology has simplified my consumer experience, sparing me from the chaos of crowded sales events. However, I acknowledge that it may have adverse effects on other retail businesses.
I don't think it ruins Black Friday for me. I like having multiple options available and, everyone trying to outdo the other, only makes it better for us. I, also, like the convenience of being able to shop at my leisure without physically having to be there or deal with all the craziness that occurs on that day. It's just safer and more convenient. The way I see it, no matter what happens between all the retailers, we are the winners.
@**ToyDemon** Online "Black Friday" deals are completely different from conventional ones and are not nearly as appealing, I wouldn't say ruined black fridays but rather an entirely different experience.
No. For the fact the consumer benefits when retailers are fighting for your business and your dollar can go a little further. I don't have to use all my brain power searching to finding good deals. It's only ruined when they all agree on artificial raised prices to have "amazing" doorbusters.
Having more days where there are big sales is more convenient at least in my case. It allows me to buy things that I really wanted on discount without having to wait an entire year, and personally, I keep track of the prices of items that I wanted for a long time so that I don't get shafted.
One thing I definitely do not miss about Black Fridays is having to get up early in the morning to wait in line for hours on end. The best part about these big sale days now (including Black Friday) is the fact that they can all be taken advantage of online.
@**ToyDemon**
I don't think it ruined it I think competition is always go especially for the consumer but it is also very different from how it was before now that everything is basically online it loses some of what Black Friday was.
No, it provides customers more options. However, I can why it annoys folks. You can get pressured into buying products right away, to avoid out of stock scenarios, while wondering if better sales can be found else where.
@**ToyDemon**
It is true that some shops will raise the price before discount. But I will keep track of the price for items I like throughout the year, and only buy those that really gets cheaper.
I prefer the ease of shopping online so if there are more big retailers trying to out-do one another it would benefit the customer in having more deals as a whole.
I think it’s still fun to see how much things drop in price even if it’s really only like 100 dollars but what really ruins it for me is Amazon they always have the best deals and you always get it no going from store to store seeing has a better deal and the rush of being in a hurry so no one beats you to it online shopping really ruined it
@**ToyDemon** I voted "No". Black Friday (and the following weekend) is the de-facto time for deals. That weekend has been drilled into my mind for savings; I expect that if I want to find something on sale, that's the time to do it. Retailers can have their own special sales days throughout the year and that's great. However, I expect those same retailers to have big sales during Black Friday weekend as well.
@**ToyDemon** No, I don't think it ruins it. Mainly because I feel it's one of the only times of year that businesses have to go all out with their deals and be actually competitive with other retails to draw customers in.
@**ToyDemon**
I think the rise in online shopping killed it more than prime day or out doing each other. Its much easier to buy things online than go to store so the waiting outside for stores to open isn't really necessary when stores offer most of the deals online. I think the changes also improved the experience for consumers since its not as time limited and more convenient for us. To me it was never really special.
@**ToyDemon**
It definitely made it feel much less special. Before Black Friday was an event people looked Forward to and planned for, since you had to physically lined up at a store early in the morning. Now with online shopping there's no real commitment. Also it feels impossible to know if you are getting a good deal on anything now.
I don't really look at or get excited about the days/events themselves, I just track prices for what I want to buy and scope out the general prices for different things so that when sale dates do come around, I'm able to know whether it's a good deal or not. Is it a lot of research? Sure, but it saves me a lot of money over the long run to be knowledgeable about what I like and knowing when to get it. While some items do get marked up, "doorbusters" typically are great value, and at least on sale celebration days it's more likely that what I want for sale is available at a low price at many different distributors.
@**ToyDemon** Yes and no. No, in that of course I would prefer to get the best possible price for whatever I am interested in. Yes in that now I would have to keep track of every sale from every individual store whenever they decide to do it, rather than just have it all laid out and done around the same time for everyone. Once again I missed the BF sale, expecting it to be like last year. Give a month or two notice before that you are making this change again, rather than 2 days before... not happy.
@**ToyDemon** Yes, with a lot of places, bick and mortar or online, tend to jack up prices and then declare a discount meaning that prices effectively don't change. Generally I don't buy anything during black friday or similar events because of this. Sales on a smaller number of items tend to be more legidimate savings.
@**ToyDemon** black friday is def not the same as it used to be. I never was one for the rush though. The price up some companies do before the sale is really scummy to me too. The eventual sale isn't really as big of a sale if you think about that
@**ToyDemon** like you stated before it's an illusion companions ploy to engage you to buy a product you see a huge discounted price (it's social engineering) so you buy it not knowing there's an arbitrary price hike and there's no real discount TVs are notorious of this during black Friday fyi there's huge discounted TVs during the month prior to the Superbowl. It's gone the days of actually scoring good deals and now it's a month long of black Friday deals.
@**ToyDemon** The month of November is so heavily saturated now with ads leading up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday I much prefer special days sprinkled throughout the year like Prime Day. It's been years since I physically went and waited in line for a doorbuster, bots dominate the limited online doorbusters they do end up advertising. I just recently put in my first order because you held your Black Friday sale in October and it was a multi day event which gave me more than enough time to pick what I wanted without having to worry about checking out what other stores are offering. I'm hoping you'll have more sale days because I'm loving my recent purchases, maybe a Demon Day on June 6 at 6am/pm.
@**ToyDemon** I've never been that into Black Friday, it seems like a celebration of consumerism, but I am a bargain-hunter, so I'll look for deals on things that I want wherever I can find them.
@**ToyDemon** Personally, no, it doesn't really affect me too much. Big sales day only kind of make me think about if there's anything I really want for myself other than essentials.
@**ToyDemon**
Black Friday just isn't the same from when I was younger. It seems there are monthly sales on everything, and I guess I have just gotten used to prcies fluctuating throughout the year. As mentioned by others, larger price gouging followed by smaller sales has become the norm. To some extent I guess other retailers have tainted Black Friday, but it seems to be an effect of online shopping.
@**ToyDemon** Sale culture has ruined sales for me. Ineviolet's comment sums it up pretty well-- Prices are marked up 50% then marked down 33% on sale so in the end I feel like I lost anyways. Not the case for Toydemon-- I felt like this sale was pretty substantial. Honestly I don't even know how y'all do it and still have a margin, but I appreciate it nonetheless.
@**ToyDemon**
I've never really gotten swept up in Black Friday, but I think you already gave a good summary of the logistical problems with all online retailers trying to compete over a sale day, problems that don't exist when the stock is in a store already and it's on the customer to go out and physically claw it out of a housewife's hands. It seems like they do it out of obligation and align themselves so as not to lose sales from temporarily undercutting each other. Even here, you guys call it a "Black Friday" sale even though it's nowhere near Black Friday because that somehow seems more acceptable than calling it a Halloween sale and giving the same explanation as to why you're not doing Black Friday anymore.
@**ToyDemon**
I don't think it "ruins it", it's not a holiday or anything. It's just a time that retailers try and get Christmas time sales for products, or sell off old stock before the end of the year.
@**ToyDemon** I've never been a fan of black friday, so events like prime day help dilute the crowd and have led to a reduction in hype over black friday.
@**ToyDemon** I think it benefits the consumer so they don't spend time trying to get deals for different things from different places. Although it is negative in terms of big big retailers out-competing smaller businesses. This is why I don't shop on Prime Day.
It does kinda ruin black friday for me but you do end up finding better deals if you're checking for them throughout the year. When BF rolls around what I end up doing is to look for something to buy rather than buy something I actually need or want. I always end up asking myself what I need/what my friends need. BF/CM haven't really been the same ever since online retailers took off and it's just a legacy holiday now imo. It was surprising to see the TD BF sale so early though. I would have missed it if I didn't check the website. Good to know it'll be the same next year.
@**ToyDemon**
Used to get somewhat exited about black friday, but as more sales spanning throughout the year, and stores are going online, black friday is no longer the only big event.
Not really ruined black friday, just less excitement as I no longer wait for the only event.
@**ToyDemon** Black Friday is always interesting regardless. Past few years I've been able to find deals that I don't think where intended on cookware that's never on sale. The deals are not as good as the past but o well. If anything looking at the ads can help pass a slow day at work.
@**ToyDemon** What ruins Black Friday for me is like you mentioned that prices will be marked up prior in order to create a bigger effect. Also how Black Friday discounts at the places I shop aren't the biggest discounts of the year anymore, the discount percentage could very well match any other holiday or event throughout the year. To me it's just become a blip on my calendar to save a little bit of money on stuff I've had my eye on and am just waiting for the inevitable sale to arrive.
@**ToyDemon**
Events like Prime Day do not ruin Black Friday for me because I've rarely participated in Black Friday shopping in the past and whether I do it online, in person, or at/during some event I'm still getting whatever at a "discounted" price lol like you said.
@**ToyDemon** No... I rarely go shopping, even it's on Black Friday, so I have no worries. But you mentioned a good point, some bring up their price before the Black Friday, and that is kind of dishonest.
@**ToyDemon** "Do events like Prime Day and other big retailer big sales matching it ruin Black Friday for you? Why or Why not?":
I don't believe it has. I sometimes shop on Black Friday if I have the money leftover and I want to get a headstart on shopping for Thanksgiving or Christmas gifts. I don't really care for the whole Amazon Prime, Best Buy black friday deals since I rarely do shop during it. However the times I do shop on Black Friday, it has almost never affected me. Hoping y'all enjoy your day!
I'm indifferent to it, I personally don't participate in Black Friday so it's not really ruined for me, but for people that do participate I can see how it could ruin it for them.
@**ToyDemon**
Black Friday mostly sucks, but I'd rather it be crappy and give some relief to the retail and postal workers. So it kinda has been ruined but I would consider that a good thing.
@**ToyDemon** Well Black Friday is known for “having all of the great deals”. Which is great for competition trying to find the cheapest product. All of the fun is in hunting for the greatest deal even in the Internet. Although always doing prime day or Black Friday would not be good since it take away the specialness of such days.
Tbh yeah, online sales kinda kill the hype for me. Then again I never really saw the appeal of going out shopping right after thanks giving but that's just me.
Good luck to everyone with the giveaway :)
@**ToyDemon** I am fine with Black Friday deals. If I care enough about a service or retailer to know their normal prices, then I will know whether I think the Black Friday deals are worth it or not.
@**ToyDemon** I've also felt the same, I've been seeing less and less worthwhile Black Friday deals in recent years. For me, Prime Days aren't even worth looking through. I'd also like to add that I've seen the "discount with price increase" tactic from OtonaJP, so my opinion of this store is much more favorable.
@**ToyDemon**
I've never cared about Black Friday. The few times I did go to stores or checked online for Black Friday discounts, I don't remember coming across any product on sale that I needed or wanted at the moment.
@**ToyDemon** Even though big retailer do that underhand move raising prices before events like black friday, sometimes the deal might be worth it, but it aint all ruined since brands of their own do their own thing and there's good deals is all about where to shop and to see the price history of things that helps a lot to see if the deal is actually worth it. Nonetheless is useful to keep watch of things like 2 months before big events and see the difference as well, so not all ruined just a bit tedious, but not bad.
I really enjoyed reading all of that information. I know I got some answers wrong in the last quiz, but at least now I know certain things. Also, I am glad I decided to log in and check you guys out last night. I had no idea the Black Friday Sale was happening already. I don't remember seeing a heads up posted in the site anywhere to announce that the sale was happening at the end of October. Maybe it was in the forums/comment section or maybe it was posted on the site for a while, but I didn't see it until the very last minute. Anyways, I'm glad I managed to take advantage of the flash sale. I was actually very worried since things were selling out fast left and right. I will make sure to make a note on this for the future.
@**ToyDemon** I feel like Prime Day and other big retailer big sales matching doesn't ruin Black Friday just purely because Black Friday typically has the best deals(IMO) and the tradition. Meanwhile Prime day has great deals - I've never personally found anything that I liked, but on Black Friday - things like RAM, computer parts and gaming monitors are extremely affordable and never see those deals around.
@**ToyDemon** No, they make Black Friday better for me--my hobbies are more expensive than I'd like, and the big sales make it much more affordable to keep doing the things I enjoy
In my experience, Prime Days have proven to be pretty lackluster with deals and I haven't paid attention to them like I usually do for Black Friday. I feel as though nothing will ever live up to the hype that is Black Friday shopping.
@**ToyDemon** Events like Prime Day seem like they are trying to create their own Black Friday, which I don't think is a bad thing. People love sales and would have done shopping anyway. Whether or not these events actually have good deals is another thing, if retailers feel that there's some competition on their own event, there's some incentive to actually lower some prices.
I guess it'll be somewhat nostalgic thinking back to when people lined up outside stores at midnight, personally I think it's kinda wild.
@**ToyDemon**
I think Black Friday is still a great day to find deals and whatnot. So no these big sales events haven’t affected me shopping on Black Friday. You won’t be overnight camping a store nowadays but most likely refreshing a webpage.
@**ToyDemon** I usually prefer to shop during other big retailer sales mostly because the items I'm interested in buying usually sell out instantly during Black Friday.
@**ToyDemon** Black Friday never really had much charm for me to begin with so there was never much to ruin. I appreciate sales whenever, but I don't really like them clustered at the same time because it causes logistical problems. Especially for brick and mortar stores, but even for online I think shipping is a big problem.
@**ToyDemon** Personally, it dent really affect me as I never had money to buy things for myself during these days. Likewise, however, i do remember being taken out to "look around" and were secretly purchase that gift by "Santa" so i guess i will miss the days i reminisce and kinda upset i wont be able to do that for my younger relatives. its 50/50 for me i guess.
@**ToyDemon** Black Friday is definitely not the same anymore and if anything no longer "exists" in the way that it used to be. But sales still happen and while majority of "sales" are items that are marked up and then marked down again, there are still good deals to be found.
I think Black Friday no longer being a singular day actually has improved my shopping experience.
@**ToyDemon**
As someone that works and knows the ins-and-outs of retail, I'd have to say that Black Friday just isn't worth it anymore. Sales days such as Cyber Monday and After Black Fridays deals have taken over my preferences. Lots of sites and resources nowadays will just notify you year round when something you want goes on sale which just always turns out to be a better alternative than simply waiting for once a year event.
@**ToyDemon**
No it does not. It just means more sales for everyone, though often times the sales are kind of limited stock or the ones people really want aren't on a huge discount. It's also fun to watch all these big businesses try to out do each other, while some of us who have no interest in spending a lot watch the fight. Honestly, it's more of a tradition than anything nowadays.
@**ToyDemon** I mostly care about getting the best deal when I have the funds available. Retailer having sales throughout the year helps me afford things I normally wouldn't be able to have. ToyDemon's black friday sale was one of the good ones because you had a sale for all items, so I didn't miss out on getting a hole I've been wanting for a while at a cheaper price. If the company puts effort into their black friday sales, The consumer will remember feel better about spending. Thanks for all your hard work!
@**ToyDemon**
If I plan to shopp on BF, I only do so when I know pretty well what I want and check prices ahead of time. That's the only way to make sure something's actually a good deal.
I dont like Amazon as a company, so I prefer to shop locally or in online stores that are not Amazon. Sometimes, you get better deals from smaller shops anyway. Or local shops trying to clear inventory.
While I do like browsing for good deals on BlackFriday, it's not often that I actually find something exciting. A 20% sale is the bare minimum of what I'd consider interesting.
More sales are never a bad thing! More chances for the thing you want to be on sale or for you to be able to pick something on sale that you might have missed at a previously lower price.
@**ToyDemon**
I don't think these events have necessarily ruined Black Friday. With all of the sites and deals to check or look out for, it can get a little bit overwhelming, but at the same time it is kind of fun to find the best deal.
@**ToyDemon** I love and hate Black Friday, hunting for deals is fun, especially when it's online. Going out into the crowds can suck. I wouldn't say it's ruined but it just ain't what it used to be.
@**ToyDemon** "Do events like Prime Day and other big retailer big sales matching it ruin Black Friday for you? Why or Why not?"
No, those Black Friday deals + free shipping are the green-light for me to splurge on items that would've otherwise stayed in my wish list.
@**ToyDemon**
Black Fridays for me is always a good time to shop for me personally as I usually like to save as much money as possible. Having a time of the year to hunt for sales while saving money is always a plus for me.
Black Friday is still a sale I look forward too, it's just like all the others throughout the year. When it comes around it typically is time for an order to go in if I want anything since it'll be at a cheaper price.
