Christy Lorio (photo by Leslie Almeida)
Who’s ready for some serious shopping today? Prepared to fight the masses for a 2-for-1 special on socks? Willing to get elbowed in the ribs for some celebrity endorsed perfume gift sets? Risking life and limb for a deeply discounted flat screen TV? No thanks, I think I’ll pass.
With so many retailers trying to get a slice of the Black Friday pie, the day has become a holiday unto itself. I can’t exactly say I believe the hype. While some popular gadgets, big-ticket items, and of-the-moment trends are getting scooped up, with a bit of bargain-shopper savvy you can find deals — wait for it — every other day of the year.
But don’t spend all of your dollars just yet. After you’ve splurged at the big box stores today, there’s Small Business Saturday, sponsored by American Express, of course. The sentiment is a good one: help boost the local economy and support small business owners. But wait! Spread out your money even further with Cyber Monday, when online retailers officially do their markdowns. Who can keep up with all of the shopping deals, much less their gift wish lists? Since I don’t really celebrate Christmas (more on that here), I opt to take a stress-free approach and give a few small, preferably handmade gifts to relatives and that’s it.
With a barrage of Facebook ads, TV commercials, and Sunday circulars, the only way to escape the rampant consumerism messages is to go off the grid and rent a cabin in the woods for the weekend. Oh wait, that’s what I usually do anyway. Happy shopping!
Christy Lorio, a native New Orleanian, writes on fashion at slowsouthernstyle.com and is also a freelance writer whose work has been featured online and in print magazines both locally and nationally.
