Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the biggest shopping day of the year. It has become such a popular day to shop that people are finishing up their turkey dinners to go out and stand in line at numerous big box stores throughout their town for the chance to purchase electronics, homeware, clothing, etc., at sale prices. The event has become so incredibly busy that unforeseen problems with other shoppers are becoming more and more prevalent. Not only shopping in stores, but also, if you consider online shopping platforms like Price, during the festive season they tend to offer various offers like discounts, coupons, and cashback offers that the common shoppers can avail. But, when it comes to offline shopping, the shoppers are tired (most stores open in the middle of the night or the very early morning) some are hopped up on too much caffeine, and, in many cases, the shoppers are waiting in line in the cold. Here are a few tips to keep yourself safe if you are going out to shop this upcoming Black Friday.
When you are standing in line outside a store, be sure to pay attention to what the rest of the crowd is doing. Pay attention to the mood; the anxiousness of other shoppers. Lines for many of the stores stretch for hundreds of yards, possibly coiling around the parking lot, and, when the stores open, overly eager shoppers could invoke a possible riot. Every year there are stories of both adults and children being injured by the trampling of feet of overly anxious shoppers. Stores should take preventative measures to stop this from happening, whether that’s installing a few steel pipe bollards to help manage the flow of people, breaking the line into smaller groups and only allowing a certain number of groups in at a time, or having additional security on the day.
Also, when you are out in the parking lot, take note of the traffic. Pandemonium does not equate to safe driving. Overly caffeinated shoppers may make poor decisions when they are operating their vehicles. Keep your eye on the parking lot for oncoming vehicles, or vehicles that are driving erratically.
Once you are inside the store, beware that people get into confrontations over the limited stock of sale items. Many of these stores offer only one or two of each item at sale prices, and the competition for those items can be fierce. Stories of shouting matches, pushing and shoving, even fistfights are prevalent every year. Avoid confrontations if it is at all possible. Remember, the items that are on sale can be replaced or repurchased at another store, not one of those sale items is worth the risk of injury or even possibly your life. And don’t forget to get your UDAP Keychain Pepper Spray to carry with you at all times.