AKA The Singletrack Guide to a happier Black Friday!
Now I am a massive fan of many things that have come out of America, but not black Friday. We are all eternally grateful to Charlie Kelly, Joe Breeze, Tom Ritchey and Gary Fisher for kick starting mountain biking. Where would we be without them? Running around the countryside making motorcycle noises perhaps?
Hackysacs and frisbee… are fun and harmless. Skateboards… count me in forever. But bloody Black Friday, it leaves me cold. It is something I avoid like a dog poo on singletrack. However, I am the merch guy at Singletrack, and that role comes with certain expectations, so stick with me while we find some middle ground. Here is everything you need to know about Black Friday.
Where the hell did Black Friday come from?
How did we end up here? “The real history behind Black Friday, however, is not as sunny as retailers might have you believe. Back in the 1950s, police in the city of Philadelphia used the term to describe the chaos that ensued on the day after Thanksgiving, when hordes of suburban shoppers and tourists flooded into the city in advance of the big Army-Navy football game held on that Saturday every year. Not only were Philly cops not able to take the day off, but they had to work extra-long shifts dealing with the additional crowds and traffic. Shoplifters also took advantage of the bedlam in stores and made off with merchandise, adding to the law enforcement headache.” History.com
Ok, so it’s when a society gets carried away with football whilst spending money. That feels rather familiar.
What to Do on Black Friday
Back when I was the Bikemonger, a niche bike shop keeper, I would close the shop and go for a ride. It was just great rolling around the countryside with my dog while the rest of the world was having a commercial spasm. I would often shoot a short video where I voiced over my dog saying “Black Friday is rubbish, humans are stupid”. Perhaps you should avoid the hoards, the online scramble and just go ride your bike. Be more dog.
Black Friday: Shoppers warned most offers are not cheaper
Whilst I am writing this the BBC are running a news story about how Black Friday is not only just another day with a dark name, but also a bit of a rip off. In a study they found that 98% of Black Friday deals had been cheaper at another point in 2022. So, is this whole worldwide consumer frenzy 98% grand nadgers? Probably. You can read the news story here.
Happy Friday is here.
So, this is the middle ground. This is how we are going to get through this together.
- We drop the “Black”, and swap in “Happy”.
- We go for a bike ride because that is always cooler than shopping.
- And finally, you consider buying something in the Singletrack Merch store.
There are two good reasons for this. Firstly, our merch is pretty cool and unique. Secondly, you are actively supporting independent mountain biking journalism. It really helps us to keep on pumping out the stories, adventures, opinions, reviews, and jolly biking vibes. At Singletrack we know these are tough times, both as a business and as individuals, so your support is very much appreciated. Thank you. Have a great Happy Friday.
Save £5.00 on Singletrack Merch
Use code “****blackfriday” and you can get £5.00 off in the Singletrack Merch Store. T&Cs: spend over £20 . Cannot be used on membership products. Cannot be used in conjunction with other codes. Expires at end of day Friday 25/11/22.
Check that out, a black Friday offer that ends on Black Friday! One day, not a whole bloody month.
In other exciting news
You will not believe this, but the furniture chain store DFS has a sale on! Scientists and historians are now getting close to discovering when the DFS sale actually started.
Exhibit A: King Harold ( AKA “DFS Harold”) flogging a chair in a ½ price sale.
A round up of our Xmas merch
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