Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Could you go cold turkey from commerce for 24 hours?
Black Friday, Cyber Monday, holiday weekend sales, pre-Christmas sales - it’s enough to make you go crazy as a consumer. But one organization says they have a solution to help you retain your sanity—“Buy Nothing Day," encouraging consumers to instead buck the trends and stay home this Black Friday. AdBusters, a left-wing, anti-consumerist magazine best known for sparking the Occupy Wall Street protests last year, are no strangers to these kinds of campaigns. Their website also features guides to organized protests like a Credit Card Cut Up, Zombie Walk and Whirl-Mart. The group claims participants would join “millions of us in over 60 countries on November 23/24.” Readers, what do you think? Are you staying home this Black Friday, or …
Friday, November 16, 2012
Start planning your Black Friday shopping now.
The Thanksgiving tradition of flipping through the Black Friday newspaper circulars won’t be quite the same this year as many national retailers have already released their Black Friday ads online. Here are just a handful of the circulars, previews and deals you can find online today: Walmart Target Michaels AC Moore Kohls Best Buy Toys R Us Sports Authority Modells Dick’s Sporting Goods Macys This list is just a sampling of the many online circulars and specials. To search for more, check out these sites for Black Friday sales or check each individual business: The Black Friday BF Ads
Check out the Five Things column for Friday, Nov. 16.
1. Food pantry: The Servant's Heart Food Pantry is open from 10-11:30 a.m. Friday at the Faith Evangelical Church, 200 Franklin St., Melrose. The food pantry helps more than 200 families in the Melrose region by providing emergency food to people in need. 2. Get socialized: Check out the Stoneham Patch Facebook and Twitter pages for additional content not featured on the website. 3. In case you missed it: Check out the latest Melrose Police log. 4. Black Friday deals: Black Friday may not be here yet, but check out the online ads posted by several retail outfits. 5. Wanted: Stoneham photos: Upload your Stoneham photos to our community photo gallery. Use Stoneham Patch to connect with your neighbors:
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Blue laws prohibit retailers from opening before midnight on Black Friday.
Black Friday is starting earlier than ever, as some national retailers have announced they will open the night of Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 22. However, here in Massachusetts, state blue laws prohibit stores from opening until midnight, according to a report by the Boston Globe. Current blue laws prohibit retailers in the state from opening on Thanksgiving, thus preventing them from getting an early start on Black Friday sales, according to the Globe article. Some exceptions are restaurants, health care facilities and gas stations. The laws, instituted in the 17th century, are intended to make sure holidays are properly observed, according to the Boston Globe. Are Massachusetts' blue laws outdated? Should they be eliminated? Tell us …
Sandra
6:11 pm on Sunday, November 18, 2012
Blue laws should not be eliminated for the fact that a lot of families still consider these holidays holy and is the only time that most families come together if employers are closed on there holidays who is going to protect ours more ›