GEEKNOTE: Several of the big box stores are pushing "Black Friday" earlier into Thursday afternoon than ever before. The oven won't even had had a chance to cool down from cooking a Thanksgiving turkey dinner before the shopping mobs will descend in search of a "deal".
TIME OUT!
Call me old fashioned, but we need to keep a bit of tradition to Thanksgiving: Catching a few minutes of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV, having family over so we can all stuff ourselves with turkey and trimmings, falling into a tryptophan induced coma and sleeping through an afternoon of football on TV, and finally getting up to reload on more turkey & sides before sleeping through whatever is on TV Thursday night.
Big retailers used to patiently to open the doors the next day on "Black Friday". It is called Black Friday because it is when many retailers finally go into the financial black for the year.
For the past several years, the doors seemed to open earlier and earlier, crossing the Thursday / Friday midnight line into Thursday evening and now into Thursday afternoon.
ENOUGH ALREADY!
A few ill-timed visits in the past on Black Friday have convinced me that "Mall" should actually be spelled "Maul" because that is what seems to be your fate if you head to one on Black Friday. American Express, a company for whom I otherwise have little use, came up with a better idea in 2010:
"Small Business Saturday"
Rather than spending yourself into hock at the big box stores on Black Friday, check out your local businesses on Small Business Saturday. It makes a lot of sense, especially if you value your community.
The small businesses of this country create most of the private sector jobs and a look through the membership list of the West Pasco Chamber or any of the service clubs will show you that the companies that give back to the community are not the big box stores, but rather the small businesses where the owners actually live in the community.
Are you thinking about getting a zoom lens to use taking pictures of holiday events? You can go to Best Buy's website and buy a Tamron zoom lens from a Best Buy affiliate mail order for $449 and you have to mail it back if you decide you don't like it. Alternately, you could drop by Jim Smetzer's place, Pasco Camera, and buy the same lens for $369.95 (after rebate) and Jim will be able to tell you all about the lens before you buy something you might not like. I'm confident that Jim knows more about cameras than all of the folks at the mall combined.
With all due respect for Best Buy, their camera affiliates in New Jersey and Idaho contribute absolutely NOTHING to New Port Richey or West Pasco.
Likewise, Best Buy has some great deals on notebook computers too. Every single one of them have the much reviled Windows 8 operating system. One of them, an Acer Aspire, has a sale price of $463.98 and it is very nice, with 4gb of memory and a 500gb hard drive. We're offering a comparable Acer Aspire, with Windows 7 for $429.95.
Did I mention that our service prices are less than Best Buy's Geek Squad prices too?
You can spend more if you like, but why?
Both Pasco Camera and Gulfcoast Networking are members of the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce and Greater New Port Richey Main Street. We are not unique. There are any number of local businesses in our area that have excellent prices AND support the community.
My recommendation is to avoid shopping on Thanksgiving. Spend it with your family and enjoy a chance to relax and enjoy the day off. Head to the "maul" or Walmart if you must on Friday, but keep some time open on Small Business Saturday to come and visit the small businesses that make our community what it is.
Check out our prices on our website: http://home.gulfcoastnetworking.com/specials/. Like Jim at Pasco Camera, I'll take pre-orders Monday - Wednesday, but I'll be at home with my family on Thursday.
Rob Marlowe, Senior Geek
Gulfcoast Networking, Inc.
http://www.gulfcoastnetworking.com
