We Went Black Friday Shopping. Terrible Idea.

Folks, it is Friday, November twenty eighth, It is Black Friday. And did you get out in this mess today? Did you get out and get a good deal today? And how did it go for you? Because for us it was pretty dark and depressing. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy TJ.

Robes.

We went out, we were in a good mood. We were looking forward to this. Of course, in a word, or maybe a couple words, how would you describe the atmosphere, the mood of this official kickoff to the Christmas shopping season.

Intense chaos?

Okay, yeah, it was intense. Chaos is one thing. There was an intensity to today that took me by surprise and made me want to leave the place.

Here's the deal.

We love Black Friday shopping, Yes, we love outlet malls. Yeah, and we have combined the too. But today we took on the juggernaut. We took on probably one of the biggest, most well known outlet malls in the country and one that we've gone to countless times over the years, even together, but we've never gone to that particular outlet mall on this particular day.

So you're saying are bad, So you think you think we made a bad call today.

Well, I think we took something we loved at a time we loved doing it and put them together and didn't recognize that it could be a potential disaster.

Okay, we're talking about different things. Okay, a couple of different things. I can deal with some traffic, sitting waiting, long lines, crowds. I felt a mood to today that I found no joy in anybody so us for them all overwhelmingly there was no joy. I didn't under I was really perpleased. I mentioned it to you all the entire time we were there. What is what is today's different?

So we went to Woodbury Commons in harrim And, New York, and it is.

It's incredible.

Yes, the stores they have, the quality of the products they have, and the pricing they're giving it to us for was all remarkable. You know where I found the joy, baby, I know what you're saying. I'm listening in the folks who were working. Really every cashier that we went up to was actually really kind, really sweet. And I will say we chose stores mainly that didn't have the roping and like people weren't waiting forever to get into. We chose places that weren't as like the high end have

You found joy in the people that were working there and those who were only maybe five people you came in contact with the rest of the time.

I do.

For whatever reason, it wasn't just amount of crowds. I've been around crowds, and I've been in basketball and games and in arenas. There are crowds that people can still be upbeat and you can feel a particular mood. The mood amongst everybody was one not of joy, of giving, of the season of fun. Even it was a mission and intensity. You get out of my way, I will run over you to get where I got to get. There was a disregard for everything and everybody around that

You know what?

So it's so funny you were use the word mission. That is exactly what I was going to say. People were on a mission. And some people might have been on a mission to check off their Christmas list, okay, but I think we saw a lot of this. People were on a mission to buy up all the product, almost as a as a business, to then go home

Okay, they had two of how many of that? Did you see?

You cut all these crowds and you have all these people carrying massive suitcases, and they are buying with intensity and just a veracity. They're not buying gifts for themselves. They're not thinking about cousin, you know, Stella. No, they were buying in volume for the biggest discounts.

They were going.

Mostly to the higher end stores, and you know they're going back home and putting this stuff up on eBay.

That's the stuff that bothers me.

I offer being a businessman or woman and living in this capitalistic consumerism fine and profiting off of it as your side hustle, But you take away the purpose and the fun of this holiday when you're sitting there elbowing people so you can get your business march ready to go.

Okay, that didn't cross my mind in the midst of it. Saw fine, but that didn't cross my mind. But if that's what they're doing, that's what they're doing. They have the right to do that. Everybody has the right to do everything they were doing at that place today. The thing is, it makes me not want to be there during the holiday season. I know, it just didn't feel good.

We love Woodberry Commons and we love Black Friday shopping, so we go all the way up to do all that, and then we came back to the city so much it's rare that you would say that it was so much calmer.

Oh, it was so much more pleasant.

And you looked at me when we came back to the city and we went to a mall nearby and it was about I don't know, twenty percent of the crowds that were at Woodbury Commons, and he looked at me and he said, yeah, this is more my speed.

It was when do.

You ever go some When I was like, wow, I cannot wait to get back to New York City, so that was where people are friendly.

Yes, actually that was the truth.

So on the drive out, I was like, oh, it's so nice to get out of the city. I was looking at the mountains because I have to say, if you've never been to Woodbury Commons, it's in It's in Harriman, New York. It's near a gorgeous town called New Paul's,

But that actually is what happened.

It was a relief.

That's so funny.

And we can tell me it's Brookville Place right the place we go to. I think by now it's.

The gorgeous mall.

We talk about it enough.

We live in this part of the city, so this is right up the road from us. But it was a different scene and it was a different tone. I just didn't expect it today. But I don't know what the rest of you all did today. But this is how our day started. Now, we got the girls in the house with us. The mall opens at six am. It's about a one hour drive from us with light traffic. So we tell them yesterday that we're going to leave at seven am. Now, the reaction from a nineteen and.

A twenty three year old wasn't great. They were like, what, what? Why? Why do we have to leave at seven That's what they asked.

Okay, so we we yes, fine, we're paying for this stuff. You're gonna get your butts in the car at seven am, and they did, yeah, yeah, there's no problems. So we take off and as soon as we get in the car, it showed it's going to be a one hour drive. It didn't take too long before that changed to a one hour and thirty minute drive, and then a one hour and forty minute drive. But here's a thing. The added time was only robes. What with like in the two miles around the mall.

We actually didn't get into the heavy traffic until point eight miles from Woodbury Commons, so we actually sped no traffic amazing all.

The way through. If you guys are familiar.

Seventeen eighty seven, just sail it up to Woodbury Commons and then when you we had to take an exit early to try to avoid the off ramp which apparently was way backed up, so we were going even in the back way around to get to Woodbury Comments.

And we get to zero.

Point eight miles from Woodbury Comments. I kept saying we should walk, we should walk. It was crazy traffic with massive highways coming in, so it wasn't possible to do so. But yes, we spent what thirty minutes creeping point eight miles.

Looking at them all.

Essentially we could see it for thirty minutes and couldn't get to it. So this is how it started. So we get out and get going. Soon as we get there, of course, somebody has to pee and somebody needs to get something to eat.

Yeah, so typical.

It doesn't matter what age the kids get, it's the same scenario as if we were they were two years old, when they were ten years old.

It's always the twenty three year.

Old told me she was hungry at least four times, right.

I was like, yeah, I heard you the first three times you said that.

So we get here and we get going. Now, you and I have done a lot of Outlin mall shopping. Today is the first time I think we had an extended period of splitting. Yes, we had to split because you had girls and you know, I had girls shopping. We didn't have all day to be there, so.

No, we knew that the crowds were gonna get even worse. So we were like, we have limited time, and You're like, babe, I gotta go my way. You gotta go your way because and that Actually I didn't like that very much. I actually really enjoy shopping with you, and I was sad to not be next to you.

Oh same, Oh.

Yeah, you forgot to say that, But no, no problem, I get it. I totally believe you.

And also were bouncing around there today. And it's an outland mall, so it's outdoor walking. It's freezing today.

Oh my god, so was it not?

So the window I didn't even tell you fully, the wind was up there. It was like twenty two. It was and it felt twenty and it was twenty two. I knew if I told you ahead of time, you might cancel the trip.

I kept that to myself, Okay, So I there just didn't find and it was worse once we bought a couple of things.

I was carrying bags. You just couldn't move for the most part.

But it was I had and you're right, I did have positive interactions with several people at several stores. Been out of republic. Love y'all, Reese, y'all the best, Justin and Crewe in there, Camilla, y'all are fantastic, right they were.

They were amazing and so kind.

Ye love them, appreciate all of them. But I did all day find, like you said, a mission, Like there was an intense mission that people were on. It wasn't about I don't even know if it was saving money. It felt like it was more like you said, about making money, or it was it more.

About what it was for me.

It was just an intensity to the day. And I know, I mean, we saw lines at some stores that didn't make sense.

At north Face Uggs, I mean, I know, yes, okay, those are fun gifts, but it was the lines were not anything that. I don't think a reasonable person would be willing to wait in twenty two degree weather.

And see here's for like an extended period of time.

And see here's the other thing I thought about there, what if we are? What does this tell us anything about where we are that you have to do this in order to save any dime you can to get anything of quality. Perhaps because this is where we are, the uncertainty that we always have, and right we just went through a shut down. Is this now you have to be willing to do these types of sacrifices to

All, at least not until we got I felt the joy moral. When we got back to the city we saw an old friend.

It actually was a lot.

We were like, wait, maybe we should never have even uh an old friend.

We saw an old friend when.

We got back to the city in Brookfield Place and Jay Crew. See the thing is oh yes, sorry, sorry, I tried to go to Jay Crew. It would very commons And it's funny. We actually all found stuff. We all had clothing that you were considering something. Ava had several items. Annalyse finally said, I scored. I found this thing with the line was so I was like, you know what, let's see if it moves quickly, I'll give it a beat. Anna and I went to go stand in it. Five minutes later, we had not moved once.

We can't, we can't wait in this line any longer.

And we just had to put the stuff back and leave, come all the way back to the city and find that the J Crew here actually had the same sale.

Yes, fifty percent off. Actually it was a great sale.

Lovely, lovely time in Ja Crew and we actually, yes, we got to see an old friend.

It all worked out. That was my That was the standard in every store. I look at the line first, at the register, and I say, is there anything in this store that line?

Yes? And usually no.

And I know that in just one three hundred and sixty degree turn. All right, folks, now Black Friday. We've been calling it the Black Friday. It spawned Cyber Monday and all kinds.

Of Giving Tuesday.

And isn't there a small business Saturday.

And yes, all this so you think you know what black Friday is and where it came from, right when businesses go into the black That ain't actually the story. Stay here, we'll tell you the true origins of a black Friday. All right, folks, we continue here on this Black Friday, which was one of the most memorable we're going to have, but one I would like to forget.

You know what's funny I was reading today CNBC basically, well, they wrote this story and they definitely were not where we were at Wouldbury Commons because they said, well, black Friday has long been defined by massive crowds, rock bottom prices, rabid concerers, biting and scratching and clawing their way to the best deals of the seasons. But they're saying this now today foot traffic is flat, online shopping is up, and consumers are weary. That is not what we saw

But they're suggesting that more so in a lot of places that not as many people are going in Curs Store anymore now.

So we will say last year, we actually and this is where we were kind of taken aback this year. Last year we ended up renting a house out east on Long Island because we didn't have a place where everybody could gather, and so we knew that there was It was the Tanger Outlets.

Somewhere I don't forgot somewhere.

It was somewhere in West Hampton and somewhere in the southern part of the Hampton's and we went last year and there were crowds, but we were surprised at how we were expecting a more robust turnout and it was tame. So then we were just fooled into thinking we would have the same experience going too and that was just so foolish of us.

And you know what, lesson learned. I don't think we will repeat ever what we did this year.

We'll drive further to the Tanger Outlets to avoid what we experienced.

But yeah, that was like almost I actually had.

The scene from Thanksgiving in my head because people were like, we left at around eleven forty five am and things were getting so bad. This is a large outdoor mall with a large, wide pedet you could not get through if you were holding backs without like getting hit.

It was it. My daughters were both like, I'm having social anxiety right now. I said, I actually am too.

And let's the reserve space this. There are folks that could be listening, say yeah, it's just y'all's first time going on Black Friday. It's like this every single year. Nothing has changed.

We've been in other places, I just never and we love.

I've been going to Woodberry Commons for like twenty years, but this was the wildest experience I've had.

They might tell you it's like this every single year, nothing new, So it was nothing new this year in a different mood with Nope, this is just what happens there every year. The thing black Friday, we I think most people would tell that story right. The reason they call it black Friday is it's the day that retailers go into the black.

Ava asked me what Black Friday was, and I gave her that exact definition because I thought I.

Was right, Well, you are.

Based on what retailers have been telling us for the past fifty plus years. Wow, but that is not where the story came from. I did not know this, of course at all, but this goes back to the nineteen fifties. It had nothing to do with shopping and getting into the Red and Black anything else. Philadelphia are good friends in Philadelphia. The annual Army Navy game that would take place in Philly the day after on the weekend of Thanksgiving.

Okay, I've never heard that story ever in my.

Mind, neither have I. So it wasn't just so. Yes, it involved some shoplifting because people were taking advantage of the people coming in to do the shopping, but so much much of the I guess the riot this atmosphere had to do with people just coming in to kick it and have a good time at the game. But police hated it. They kept being called black Friday, Black Friday,

Because we've been in the red up until now, we haven't been able to be profitable. But now when people start spending for the holidays, we finally get in the black. So that day represents, yes, the day that retailers and small business owners actually start turning a benefit and they're in the black.

There you go, Wow, who knew I more? You know? Right?

And that is that's that actually blows my mind because I think about for the last thirty years covering Black Friday as a journalist, and I have sold that story to every single community I've ever served, and I've told them the Black Friday story that apparently was all b Yes.

Because obviously retailers make money at points other points of the year, and traditionally, Chris no excuse me, the Saturday before Christmas is often a bigger retail day than Black Friday. And that makes sense the Saturday before Christmas day, yes.

Because we all procrastinates.

So that's your last chance to get out. But yes, that's often a bigger day makes sense there, It is.

The more you know, the more you know.

All well, I hope you all had a good one wherever you might be, and please spread as much joy and cheer and again, are bad if we just our first experience with Woodberry Commons and we didn't know, maybe it's like this.

I prefer Woodberry Commons on a Tuesday around ten am, on a day not in the month of November or December. So we'll see you soon Woodbury, but never again on Black Friday. And with that everyone, thank you for joining us. I made me robot alongside DJ Holmes. We'll talk to you soon.