What are your thoughts on Black Friday? Pros and Cons? Personal stories of the day.

Well, I am looking forward to the Blackshirts pounding the Buffs for the last time in Lincoln.

I'm looking forward to a stump up Cayuse Ridge, to try to find that herd of elk I know is up there somewhere.

Go BLACKSHIRTS!!! Carl and Bo rock!!

I look forward to SHOPPING!

I work at a retail store in Forsyth, so our day-after-Thanksgiving (I refuse to call it Black Friday, I hate that term) is relatively quiet. Our big rush comes later, around Dec. 15 - 24.

For most of my adult life I've done at least 85% of my Christmas shopping right here in Forsyth. The last few years, I've bought a few things online (stuff you can't find around here) and that works out just fine for me, so I have no desire to get into the big cattle call in Billings.

In college, I once accidently found myself in a Michigan Walmart on Black Friday. I had no idea what was going on. Never, ever again.

I leave my house every black friday by 3:15 am to get to Miles City's wal-mart before the sale starts at 5 am. It's my favorite shopping day of the year! I'm looking forward to when the ad is leaked online!

Curious how an accounting term has become a national event. A bit of history from my 20 years in retail sales. A discount big box store like K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Target and so on, year end profit runs very close to the amount of sales they have between he Friday after Thanksgiving and the end of the year, if you have a normal to good profit year. So accountants started calling the Friday after Thanksgiving black Friday, meaning you were moving to black or profit figures for the year. Because of the huge number of panicked customers and most of the large number of inexperienced temp staff, long term employees thought of it in less happy terms.

I personally LOVE Black Friday shopping! I have seen many funny things on this day, but nothing is more hilarious than seeing a large group of people running towards the doors at Wal-Mart in below zero temperatures (in Fargo, ND)! This was before Wal-Mart was a 24 hour establishment so a rather large group of people had been gathering for their 5 a.m. opening and when the doors opened it was like a herd of cows running towards the door. It really cracked me up. It seems like every year something comical happens that makes it worth my while to get up that early to go shopping. I have seen the door literally torn off the hinges at a Kohl's store and one year I watched some women get into a fist fight over legos - nothing like that holiday spirit!

You people are seriously cracked.

i can't stand "black friday"
too many people acting like idiots in one area..
besides..the deals are better the day after Christmas.

I am a fan of black Friday even though I have never bought anything on that day that I recall. I just like it when people act wacky and this usually qualifies.

the only good thing about black friday for myself is if I were to work that day, my company considers it a holiday. texas based company but hey i don't mind. but i don't work fridays. nevermind. black friday is lame

IMO "favorite shopping day of the year" and Walmart don't belong in the same sentence.

Black Friday hasn't meant much to me in a few years because I usually cannot afford to shop that day, anyway.

This year, I expect it to be stressful and hectic as I already know I'm working 14 hours that day...so, I guess I see BF as an opportunity to start earning some Xmas money to do my shopping a week or 2 later.

I have never had a "run in" with anyone rude or pushy at the Miles City wal-mart...at least not on Black Friday.

Many years ago, I was the manager of the jewelry department at the Bozeman K-Mart. We opened at five a.m. on Black Friday. It was bitterly cold, sub-zero temperatures, and our boss felt sorry for the schmucks freezing their keisters off in the parking lot so he let them in early.

We had 70% off on fine jewelry for four hours that morning. I was alone in the department, sipping my coffee, doing my inventory, when a surge of folks came barreling over to my counter. My register wasn't even open. The boss had to sprint back to the cash cage to get my money and open my register. He ended up ringing up a few purchases. He apologized later, as I finished my now stone cold coffee, and admitted he should have tried to hold the crowd back but that would have been impossible.

As a consequence of those years in retail, I never go near a store on Black Friday.

Went to my first black friday last year. I must say it was fun. Picked up my friend, and got to walmart very early. Had to stand in line only once for a computer. The check out lanes were all up and running full force. Less hassel than any other day I go. Then we went to 4-Bs for breakfast. I think I,ll do it again. Don,t know what I was afraid of all of these years.

Well, if you are Dave Brown, then yo are usually standing in line at Walmart to buy a doe tag at 6 am.

I was listening to news the other day and they said that on Black Friday that all the great sales will be on sale again later in Dec. They also said that most stores like Wal-mart on get a few large ticket items in and only a few people actually get the good sales so I don't think it is worth it. Last year I went on line and got the best deals in all the items I wanted to buy. So I will stay home on Black Friday.

A lot of stores in MC don't serve as many people as their big city counterparts so I think your chances here are better than most places that you will get whatever it is you're lining up for.

I've been going to Wal-Mart in Miles City for the last three years. The first year we arrived at 5:08 and I was AMAZED at the parking lot! It was packed and there were 0 shopping carts left. As we walked in, the greeter sarcastically joked "you're late". We still ended up getting everything on our list. The next year, as well as last year we made sure we were in the store well before 5 to stalk the layout of the store. It's the best way (cheapest) for me to give my kids and the rest of the family an amazing (materialized) Christmas morning.

[This message has been edited by stef428 (11/12/2010)]

Go to www.black-friday.net to view many stores (including Wal-mart's) leaked ads.