Voice of the Mid-Columbia | Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, Wash. |
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closeThe diehards among us were out the door long before this newspaper was delivered.
It's Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, and the sales started in the wee hours of the morning.
With the economy the way it is, some retailers might be calling it Black and Blue Friday, nursing their bruises from what many have predicted will be a slow holiday season.
But they aren't going down without a fight. The advertising blitz began weeks ago, and deals are abundant. Retailers are doing all they can to get you to part with your hard-earned money.
It's hard to say what the final tally will be by the time we're putting our New Year's resolutions into practice. But a lot of people are doing a lot of talking about spending less during the holidays.
Of course, talk is cheap. So are a lot of great gifts this year, as retailers slash prices to clear inventory.
Locally, independent merchants say the season is going swell. Some interviewed by Herald reporter Pratik Joshi for a story this week even said sales were up.
Big box chain stores aren't so lucky. Store closures, bankruptcies and rumors are rampant. Some people are scared to buy gift cards as presents because some stores may not be around long enough to redeem them.
We're lucky the economic umbrella protecting the Mid-Columbia from the downpour of bad business news continues to hold.
We don't know of any big businesses planning to close up shop, and most of the home buyers in our region avoided the flexible rate mortgages and interest-only loans that are driving so many folks out of their houses in other parts of the country.
But things can change quickly. We all need to be wise when doing our holiday shopping. The old adage is true: Don't spend more than you can afford.
Cash is the best medium to use. Racking up more credit card debt is inadvisable.
For those who left home before the sun rose this morning, we hope it was worth it. There were some great deals to be had at 5 a.m. and even earlier.
For those of you who weren't up for an early morning shopping trip, relax. We're betting your dollars will still go further this season as retailers continue to worry about the state of the economy and sweeten the deals as the holiday countdown's final days approach.
If you don't feel like braving the crowds, e-mail offers are coming in fast and furious from retailers. One-day sales, promo codes and discounts are only a click away.
Of course, maneuvering through Web pages is hardly satisfying to diehard shoppers. We know a lot of people really enjoy shopping the day after Thanksgiving.
It's a ritual for some and the thrill of the chase for others. We've even heard tell of shoppers requesting a spouse to bring a second vehicle so purchases can be handed off without disrupting the serious shopping mission.
If you're among those whose favorite sport is shopping, we hope you wore comfortable shoes, took breaks for sustenance and were successful in your search.
And, we appreciate your work to help stimulate the economy. That's the spirit!
Editorials are the consensus of the Tri-City Herald editorial board.
Editorial board members are Rufus Friday, publisher; Chris Sivula, editorial page editor; Ken Robertson, executive editor; Matt Taylor, contributing editor; Lori Lancaster, editorial writer; Shelly Norman, editorial writer and Jack Briggs, retired publisher
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