What to Learn from the Wrentham Outlets Black Friday Riots?

The fall of 2011 saw an extra guest come to the table on the night of Thanksgiving in Wrentham, Mass., or more accurately, the wee hours of the morning after: a riot. Hundreds of consumers lined up outside of the Wrentham Outlets on Black Friday, looking for already-discounted designer fashions at a lower price than usual. Despite several attempts by guards and police to keep order, the sale devolved into a full-fledged stage for pandemonium, featuring screaming, yelling, kicking, and one woman being knocked to the ground under a huge crowd.

Despite the fact that the store has been cleared for Black Friday sales again after the fiasco, it is important to remember several things about what these riots say about our society. Namely, it's important to remember a few facts that can help you always avoid situations like this in the future, protecting yourself from Black Friday Madness.

Many people think it is worth any danger and any amount of pushing and screaming if they manage to save a lot of money. However, given the current state of the American economy, it's important to truly rethink what it means to save money. Consider how long you will plan to wait online and also shop for the deals you'll find at a Black Friday sale. Then, think about how much money you are planning on being able to save by waiting in line for that amount of time.

If you are planning on investing eight to 10 hours of waiting and fighting, as many people do who line up early for Black Friday sales wind up doing, think about how much money you make at your job during those hours. Ask yourself whether it is worth investing ten hours to save $30. The sale at the Coach outlet at Wrentham Outlets on Black Friday was only offering a 10 percent off sale, and this resulted in many people being injured. If you put in that amount of time for that much money, you're paying yourself a wage of $3 an hour. Before going to the store, ask yourself whether $3 is worth being jostled, shoved, and screamed at.

Many people shop the Black Friday sales at Wrentham Outlets because they think it is the only way to get some of the best designer clothing in the country for very cheap prices. However, with a little research and savvy shopping, as well as some planning ahead, you can usually save more than available at even Black Friday sales on any given day. For example, simply by going to the Wrentham Outlets website, you can download a VIP coupon book that gives you massive sale prices at most of the stores in the outlet mall. Also, by waiting for a sale day such as Fourth of July or even President's Day, you can usually find holiday sale prices that don't bring with them the madness of a Black Friday sale. No one finds it acceptable to riot at a President's Day sale, yet the cultural acceptance of some bloodlust and madness on Black Friday seems to make people believe it is acceptable at that time of the year. If the sales are just as good with a little extra work put in, you may want to reconsider whether it's important enough to have that Coach bag to put yourself at personal risk.