Sustainability and social behaviour are things that people should consider in Black Friday shopping, say experts.
Retailers in both the U.S. and Canada will hold sales Friday (Nov. 26) and Amy Hanser, UBC department of sociology associate professor, said a big part of Black Friday is marketers trying to convince consumers to buy. It can also lead to inappropriate behaviour, like fighting and rushes of mobs.
含羞草研究社淪ome people see it as an expression of the individualistic anti-social attitudes that consumerism cultivates,含羞草研究社� said Hanser. 含羞草研究社淚 think sometimes it含羞草研究社檚 the context, it gets revved up and I think there含羞草研究社檚 only so much at a certain price and it makes people feel like they含羞草研究社檙e going to miss out. We含羞草研究社檝e seen this actually in the context of the gas restrictions in B.C. Some people rush to get as much as they can.
含羞草研究社淚n some ways I feel like it含羞草研究社檚 not a behaviour that含羞草研究社檚 specific to Black Friday, but [it] gets organized in a way that makes some people feel like they have to fight to get their share. There含羞草研究社檚 a feeling of scarcity that underlies the desperation that some people approach Black Friday with.含羞草研究社�
Kai Chan, a professor with UBC含羞草研究社檚 Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, said people will need to buy things, but should consider need.
含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 no harm in buying it on Black Friday, despite the fact that some [non-governmental organizations] have labelled it 含羞草研究社楤uy Nothing Day含羞草研究社� and I hope that people don含羞草研究社檛 get wrought in guilt by thinking that they含羞草研究社檙e bad people if they buy those things that they need on Black Friday,含羞草研究社� said Chan. 含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 no harm in that. Take advantage of the sales when they含羞草研究社檙e available.
含羞草研究社淭he key is [ask yourself],含羞草研究社橧s this going to be something that I will use for a long time?含羞草研究社� Or is it going to be something they use for a couple of months and likely don含羞草研究社檛 use again and it含羞草研究社檚 going to sit around and clutter my house?含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
Consumers should be mindful of sustainability when heading to stores, said Juan Jose Alava, a research associate and principal investigator with the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries Faculty of Science at UBC.
Alava pointed to the clothing industry, which is responsible for 含羞草研究社渆mitting microfibers from synthetic textiles such as nylon and polyester into the marine coastal areas and oceans,含羞草研究社� and the electronics industry, 含羞草研究社渨hich generates plastic waste from electric and electronic equipment, or e-waste,含羞草研究社� he said.
Still, the thrill of the bargain hunt makes Black Friday appealing, with some going so far to plan and strategize for maximum savings, said Hanser.
含羞草研究社淪ometimes they even plot out the store and where stuff is ahead of time and then when it actually happens it含羞草研究社檚 like, one scholar called it, 含羞草研究社楾he Great Race,含羞草研究社� this big challenge and then there含羞草研究社檚 a sense afterwards of mission accomplished, that they achieved what they were seeking to do.含羞草研究社�
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