Black Friday: First Blood Part II

[marmar]

from Reuters:



16:24 November 27th, 2009
Black Friday: First Blood Part II

Posted by: Robert MacMillan


We were wondering earlier today how much longer it would take until customers shopping for Black Friday deals got rowdy. We told you about one shoving match in Centennial, Colorado, that involved dropping a little old lady. Now we have a “disturbance” at a Walmart store in Upland, California, near Rancho Cucamonga in Southern California’s Inland Empire. What motivates some of these attacks? Toy hamsters! (See our earlier entry on this phenomenon. Also, look toward the bottom of this blog entry.)

The San Bernardino Sun reported details:

“Upland police officers received reports of the disturbance about 2:45 a.m. Friday and sent about four officers to the store at 1540 W. Foothill Boulevard, Lt. Jim Etchason said. ‘A manager at the store called it in to the police department,’ Etchason said. ‘(The manager) said numerous customers were causing a disturbance with each other.’”

The cops told managers to close the store while they cleared out shoppers and made them wait in the parking lot. A few hours later, they were allowed to go back inside, the Sun reported. There were no reports of injuries or damage, the paper said on its website.

A company spokesman confirmed the incident, but said the store was cleared out and closed for 45 minutes.

“We’re hearing positive feedback from customers and associates in our stores across the country today. Our store plans are helping our customers have a safe and enjoyable shopping experience at Walmart,” the spokesman also said.

As long as it’s positive feedback.

Other incidents of retail aggression also surfaced on Friday in Brandon (over GPS systems) and Seminole, Florida — also at Walmart stores. Here’s Florida Today: .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://blogs.reuters.com/shop-talk/2009/11/27/black-friday-first-blood-part-ii/

[Sebastian Doyle]

1. WalMart in Upland, huh?

Why do I know our old Freeper pal "Doug" is behind this? :rofl:

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. "retail" aggression?

is there "wholesale" aggression also?

[Warren DeMontague]

3. Someone should be able to program the toy hamsters to fight over themselves.

Might save some lives.

[mascarax]

4. Walmart will probably fire the manager for calling the police &

thus closing the store (from 45 minutes to "a few hours"). Think of the lost profits, upper management will exclaim!

And, if the "few hours" is correct, did people honestly spend all of that time in their parking lot?!

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. The video at the bottom is a scary scary must see.

These guys are going nutz over a toy.
I can only imagine what would happen if we have serious shortages of food, water or gas.

[shadowknows69]

10. I'm pretty sure a lot of us will get to witness that eventually.

[poverlay]

6. The video at the bottom is why I hate people. "I don't know what I got, but I got it. I got mine."

These f-ing idiots don't have any idea what the hell they're buying. They just want to be first and take from everyone else. How selfish, greedy, and annoying. I expected a couple of those people to cover the ones they couldn't snatch up in their own vomit.

"I Got Mine"

The human race is doomed, and good riddance.

[Warren DeMontague]

9. The good news is, they did get some exercise.

I think some of those folks could use it.

[poverlay]

11. Truer words.......n/t

[EmeraldCityGrl]

7. This is revolting.

I don't want to live here anymore. :puke:

:banghead:

[ipaint]

8. Almost as bad as these guys.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/24/goldman-jpmorgan-citi-business-wall-street-bonus.html