[Closed] The media's obsession with the boxing day sales.

It's only news if it gets it's own thread on STW.

it's just to reassure us all that consumer based captialism is alive and kicking and any reports that we are all going to hell in a handcart are simply just not true.

MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF MUST GO BUY STUFF

I went to cost cutter and bought some brown bread .... It was 35p

Thats the extend of my sales shopping !

It's traditional, isn't it?
Not quite to the scale of the good old days of camping outside Harrods to get the 1,000 quid fur coat for 300 or whatever the deals were.

I'd just like to go one day to commit some mindless violent act on someone - some of these women get proper nasty over a 'bargin' and are quiet willing to literally beat off the competition 😯 . I'd love to go in and kick a few shoppers in the shins, very therapeutic

I got a cheese board, knife and four lovely cheeses for half price at Sainsburys. It's been my best shopping day. Ever.

I got some tinsel and baubles for 75p in the co-op this morning. I had my reasons.

I'd just like to go one day to commit some mindless violent act on someone - some of these women get proper nasty over a 'bargin' and are quiet willing to literally beat off the competition 8O. I'd love to go in and kick a few shoppers in the shins, very therapeutic

Were you in Oxford street earlier?

Does anyone know if and whether DFS are having a sale this year?

There is an agenda within the BBC news. It has a strong focus on the problems of the current economic climate.
Every report about Christmas shopping was voicing the opinion that people would not be spending as much due to the recession. Now it is saying that retailers are clearing stock at a loss due to the recession.
All this negativity is a factor in consumer confidence which slows the recovery and becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

Quiet news day. They didn't lead on sales when there was a tsunami did they?

There is an agenda within the BBC news. It has a strong focus on the problems of the current economic climate.
Every report about Christmas shopping was voicing the opinion that people would not be spending as much due to the recession. Now it is saying that retailers are clearing stock at a loss due to the recession.
All this negativity is a factor in consumer confidence which slows the recovery and becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

It's just BBC News then ? .......the OP seemed to think that it was the whole media.

So what is the rest of the media reporting then ? What are these stories which BBC News won't let their viewers know about ?

BTW I have to say that now you've pointed out how the BBC News is deliberately sabotaging the UK economy through their "agenda" I am quite frankly appalled.

Although strangely enough the BBC News website doesn't even mention the Boxing Day Sales on their front page.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/

What's that all about then ?

The purchase I made today was a round of drinks:
- Half a Taylor's Landlord
- Pint of Keepers Gold
- Pint of Marstons Mongrel
North Yorkshire beer - great at any price!

Although strangely enough the BBC News website doesn't even mention the Boxing Day Sales on their front page.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/

What's that all about then ?

Not sure what you are looking at Ernie- But theres 5 mentions on the link you sent! 😀

Clicked on a few things this morning, bought a couple cos they were cheap I would have bought them anyway later / earlier on.

That is it.

Having said that, we have done the sale thing before, but everytime come away wondering why we did...

Well I'm obviously not looking at the same link as you PGreen - there's no front page article on the Boxing Day Sales in my link.

I couldn't think of anything worse to do on Boxing Day than to go to a shopping street - it sounds ghastly

Just to get a bargain on something you probably didn't need, but with 25% knocked off, then its a must have

i don't get enough time with my family, so i've thoroughly enjoyed eating turkey sandwiches, a little bike ride with my dad (his first in 40 years) and drinking other peoples whiskey.

The gutter press is the lowest part of UK society. I'm sure the Daily Express will have another sighting of the poor McGann girl tomorrow.

Utter tosh!!

I remember watching the news footage of the opening of the Westfield shopping centre in Stratford. as the doors opened, people rushed in [i]joyfully[/i]. Running [i]joyfully[/i] into shops, to spend money many of them probbly don't actually have. 😐

I found it quite depressing actually. If only people could use such energy to help each other, rather than slavishly consume in the forlorn hope it will make them better people...

Dunno spent a few hours in a [url= http://www.tobycarvery.co.uk/ ]Toby Carvery[/url] today 😉

We had a clothing retail business for many years and the sales were always excellent for us.
The profit margin was actually higher than pre-christmas as your sale stuff is bought in well before christmas at a big discount from suppliers.People just see a sale ticket,assume it must be a bargain ,instead of thinking is it still value for money.

Elfinsafety. Agree with that, I have friends who will argue over the stuff in their house, argue over shopping etcetc....I just don't get it. I had a mate a few years ago who told me his ambition was to lead the kind of life that he reads about in FHM....I'd never pitied one of my friends before that moment.

I go to the shops for what I need and then spend the rest on things my better half and I enjoy doing. Things like 60 inch TVs leave me cold, surely its the program being watched that provides the entertainment and not the vessel its viewed on?

Far too many friends have been in debt trying to keep pace with fashion for gadgets, cars etc....they end up leading a hollow existence whereby their possessions define them.

......surely its the program being watched that provides the entertainment and not the vessel its viewed on?

Well I would agree that with a well written thriller or mystery then as long as the television is adequate then it doesn't really matter, but watching something like frozen planet in high def on a big screen is a pretty amazing experience.

Yeah but it's not about the thing itself, but the very [i]desire[/i] for things that's depressing.

It seems to stem from a need to appear superior to your peers; granted, Humans have always sought this, but it seems to have accelerated exponentially in the latter half of the 20th Century, amongst an equally exponentially expanding number of people Worldwide.

Christmas is a funny time of year; sposed to be about thinking of others, and how lucky we are and that, but it seems people are more intent on consuming as much as they can; the irony of people spending loads on toot they don't need, then bunging a few pennies in a jar for a Homeless Charity would be funny if it weren't so sad.

Fair enough if you were after a big telly anyway, and can get it half price or whatever in the sales, that's economic prudence. I'm off down Cash Converters to get an Ecks Bocks what someone's had to flog cos they're in debt through overspending on Xmas. Every cloud...

No, to me, the disturbing bit is how they rush [i]joyfully[/i] into shops. That just strikes me as fundamentally flipped up.

I had a mate a few years ago who told me his ambition was to lead the kind of life that he reads about in FHM

I know people (mostly women it must be said), who [i]enjoy[/i] shopping. I've had people scoffing cos I'd rather spend a Saturday out on me bike than in a shopping centre. I've worked with people who talk excitedly of going shopping at the weekend, on Monday morning.

Obviously the shopping process fulfils some sort of 'need' within people; s'all about gratification, innit? No harm in a little retail therapy now and then, but to [i]live[/i] for shopping?

Sick, sick World...

Women will buy anything as long as they think it's a bargain. Men will pay anything as long as it is exactly what they want :p

I know people (mostly women it must be said), who enjoy shopping.

I like shopping. Specially in a shopping mall. I like walking around and looking at stuff. I like stopping for a coffee and a bite to eat, and then carrying on.

Calling me poof ?

No, don't start feeling all threatened anyway if you were gay why would that be a problem? Are you saying all gay men are obessed with shopping or something? Talk about stereotyping... 🙄

There's nowt wrong with liking a bit of shopping now and then. It's when people are obsessed with shopping, when they will run [i]joyfully[/i] into shops just for the sake of 'shopping', that's when it's somewhat disturbing.

......if you were gay why would that be a problem?

Well it wouldn't be, why are you suggesting that it would be ?

Talk about stereotyping... 🙄

And btw, a "poof" is an effeminate man. You can be hetro.

@Ernie_lynch you're pretty clearly a repressed homosexual. You should bite the bullet and come out, it's much better over here on the brown side xxx

Are the Boxing Day sales [i]traditional[/i]?

Am I the only person who remembers the post-Christmas consumerist binge being called the January sales? As in, sales that take place in January?

Well it wouldn't be, why are you suggesting that it would be ?

I'm not suggesting it would be at all. It's [i]you[/i] what seems to think it's a problem.

Very defensive and angry about this, aren't you?

You like shopping; it's not a problem.

it does seem to be a more 'feminine' activity, judging by the overwhelming majority of women you see in shopping centres.

I think it's nice that you are embracing your feminine side. Do you hang around the M+S Lingerie section?

surely its the program being watched that provides the entertainment and not the vessel its viewed on?

I dunno, recently bit the bullet and got a big TV and surround sound and it's an awesome way to watch films and stuff. Like MSP says, Frozen Planet and the like are pretty much made with these TV's in mind.

Very defensive and angry about this, aren't you?

No, not really, I'm just challenging your sexist stereotyping concerning shopping.

.

Do you hang around the M+S Lingerie section?

Not since I promised the magistrate that I wouldn't.

No, not really, I'm just challenging your sexist stereotyping concerning shopping.

Not sexist at all; merely observation. Go to your local shopping centre. Count how many women there are. Count how many men there are.

Then come back and apologise to me.

Not since I promised the magistrate that I wouldn't.

😆

You still allowed in the Whitgift, after they threw you out for intimidating shoppers, spitting and throwing chips at pigeons?

[img] [/img]

Not sexist at all; merely observation.

Yeah, that's what all the stereotyping bigots say.......[i]"I'm not a racist but, blah, blah, blah, ..... just saying like"[/i]

And yes of course I'm aware of all the crumpet in my "local shopping centre" ...... specially aware in summer for some reason. What do you think I am ..... stupid ?

BTW I'm sure you are aware that the Whitgift Centre doesn't even remotely look like that these days. For a start it is now an indoor shopping mall, and that pub/building in the middle "The Forum" doesn't exist anymore. Plus it hasn't been that empty during opening hours for about 30 years.

BTW I'm sure you are aware that the Whitgift Centre doesn't even remotely look like that these days

That's what it looked like when you were banned. You're quite old now.

Oh dear. Seems all the excitement and mass hysteria has gone a bit too far:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16340784

So so sad. A life gone, fighting over what? 🙁

A life gone, fighting over what?

There was something on the news a week or so ago about how several shoppers in America were injured after fights broke out over shoes. The latest Nike Air Jordan retro trainers IIRC.

😯 🙄